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6 months ago
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The parents of a girl who died after drinking a Charged Lemonade from Panera Bread have spoken out after the energy drink was axed following multiple deaths.
Sarah Katz died at the age of 21 after suffering two cardiac arrests shortly after consuming the highly caffeinated beverage from the American restaurant chain.
Since her death in September 2022, multiple lawsuits were filed against Panera Bread on behalf of others who died or were left with serious health conditions after consuming the lemonade.
The grieving parents of Katz, who was a student at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, have now opened up about losing their daughter.
Katz's father, Michael, recalled the moment he found out that his daughter had 'collapsed' and raced to the trauma center to learn that she had suffered from cardiac arrest - but that doctors were able to resuscitate her.
Sarah Katz (pictured) died on September 10, 2022, just hours after she consumed a large Charged Lemonade from a branch of Panera Bread in Philadelphia
The grieving parents of Katz, Michael and Jill Katz (pictured), have now opened up about losing their daughter
'The pain is just so hard and so deep. It's not something you get better from,' Jill Katz, Sarah's mother said. She is pictured here with her daughter
However, after the 21-year-old suffered a second cardiac arrest, medical officials ended the resuscitation - leaving her heartbroken parents in 'total disbelief'.
'The pain is just so hard and so deep. It's not something you get better from,' Jill Katz, Sarah's mother said. She added that time has not healed their heartbreak, and they have been forced to acclimate to the pain of losing their beloved daughter.
'Sarah was an amazing daughter, an amazing friend and an amazing sister,' Jill said. She volunteered at the local children's hospital, was part of her school's pre-law society and acted as social chair for her sorority. She was studying health and society and international relations.
Katz's parents revealed that they had to pack up her apartment in Philadelphia following her tragic death, which was 'gut-wrenching,' and that it was there they learned from her roommate that she had consumed the Panera Bread Charged Lemonade.
The roommate had heard of other related incidents that had occurred after others had consumed Charged Lemonades and she put two and two together.
When the doctor was informed about the lemonade consumption, they said it was absolutely something that could have contributed to the death.
Since her death in September 2022, multiple lawsuits were filed against Panera Bread on behalf of others who died or were left with serious health condition s after consuming the lemonade
The Katz family are now suing Panera Bread for wrongful death, negligence and several other counts - alleging that the company failed to properly warn consumers of their dangerous product
Katz's parents said that she typically steered clear of energy drinks because of a known heart condition that she was diagnosed with at the age of five.
The Katz family are now suing Panera Bread for wrongful death, negligence and several other counts - alleging that the company failed to properly warn consumers of their dangerous product.
Panera Bread announced on Tuesday that the Charged Lemonade beverages would be pulled from the menu.
A spokesperson for the chain said the change was part of a 'menu transformation' and internal memos suggest it could begin within the next two weeks.
But the move comes after lawsuits blamed the highly caffeinated drinks for two deaths and heart damage in a third patient.
'I know that as we're sitting here today that people's lives have been saved by the awareness of this,' Jill Katz told ABC News.
The lawsuit filed alleges that the 30-fluid-ounce drink exceeds the combined contents of 12 fluid ounces of Red Bull (114 milligrams of caffeine) and 16 ounces of Monster Energy Drink (160 milligrams of caffeine).
Elizabeth Crawford, the attorney representing the Katz family, revealed that Panera Bread doesn't even offer a 30-ounce option for coffee.
A regular size of Charged Lemonade, which is 20 ounces, has 260 milligrams of caffeine. The large, which comes in a 30-ounce cup, has 390 milligrams
The lawsuit claims that Mr. Brown was 'reasonably confident it was a traditional lemonade containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for him to drink'
A second lawsuit was filed in December by the family of a disabled Florida man, 46, who also died after drinking several Charged Lemonades.
A third lawsuit was filed in January by Lauren Skerritt, a 28-year-old from Rhode Island who claimed the beverage left her with 'permanent' heart injuries.
A 30-ounce large Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams, which is nearly the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) entire recommended daily limit.
A spokesperson for Panera said Tuesday that the phasing out of the drinks was due to customer feedback.
'We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and are focusing next on the broad array of beverages we know our guests desire — ranging from exciting, on-trend flavors, to low sugar and low-caffeine options,' they said.
After news of the first lawsuit broke, Panera put more detailed disclosures in all of its restaurants and on its website warning customers to consume the drinks in moderation.
The chain also stated that they were not recommended for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding moms or people sensitive to caffeine.
Internal memos shared with NBC News by senior staff in Missouri and Pennsylvania indicate the phase-out could happen in two weeks.
But not all employees were aware of the change - including staff in one store in New York City who said they had no knowledge of the move.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Panera Bread for comment.
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