- Panera Bread is warning consumers "sensitive to caffeine" not to drink its Charged Lemonade.
- The chain is prominently labeling the drink as caffeinated in stores and online.
Panera Bread is making it clear that its Charged Lemonade is best enjoyed in moderation.
Panera is facing a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the parents of a 21-year-old college student. They allege that their daughter, who had a heart condition, suffered a cardiac arrest and died after drinking one of Panera's caffeinated lemonades.
The lawsuit, filed last week, alleges that the chain offered the beverage with "no warning of any risks of ingesting these concentrated amounts of caffeine in connection with the stimulants and sugar."
Now, Panera is prominently labeling the Charged Lemonade as caffeinated both in stores and online, and has added warnings.
"Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women," the new online description reads.
Panera did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Since the lawsuit, more people have come forward on social media with anecdotes and warnings about the Charged Lemonade. And, the Food and Drug Administration told NBC News that it's "gathering information about this event."
On its official website, Panera describes the drink as "the ultimate energy drink guaranteed to charge up your day," and powered by "clean caffeine."
The punched-up lemonades launched in 2022, and it went viral online when customers decided to issue their own warnings about consuming the beverage. One TikToker, Sarah Baus, said she drank multiple cups of Charged Lemonade before realizing how much caffeine one serving contained.
A large 30-ounce Charged Lemonade has about 390 milligrams of caffeine, according to the posted nutritional facts. That's more than a 12-ounce can of Red Bull and a 16-ounce can of Monster combined.
The FDA lists 400 milligrams — equivalent to about four or five of coffee — as "an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects" for healthy adults. However, it said how sensitive individuals are to the effects of it varies widely.