Panera opened on August 1 in the Minskoff Pavilion, the Broad College of Business' new building. Photo taken July 25.
Panera Bread has implemented signage disclosing the risks of caffeine following the death of Sarah Katz, a University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition who died after drinking a Panera Charged Lemonade.
Katz lived with Long QT Syndrome Type 1, a disease that disrupts the heart's electrical activity, her whole life. Following her death on Sept. 10, 2022, Panera now faces a wrongful death lawsuit from her family.
The Katz family’s lawyer said Katz was always vigilant of her caffeine intake; the lawsuit claims Panera failed to warn consumers of how much caffeine was truly in the beverages.
For many Michigan State University students who frequent the Panera located in the Broad College of Business, this development affects what menu items they buy.
While Broad College Panera staff members declined to comment on the situation, their newly posted signs read, "not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women."
The statement is contradicted by the one on Panera’s website, which said the product contains "as much caffeine as our Dark Roast coffee."
However, a large "charged lemonade" – the same size Katz had drank – boasts a staggering 390 milligrams of caffeine, which is just barely under the recommended safe amount for adults to have in a whole day of 400 milligrams. A large dark roast coffee contains only 268 milligrams of caffeine.
MSU graphic design junior Mina Aasgaard said while she will continue to get the charged lemonades when she needs the occasional caffeine pick-me-up, she thinks the comparison to their coffee is dangerous.
"I heard that they were marketing it as the same as their coffee," Aasgaard said. "Which is why people didn't know how much caffeine was in them, and then they were drinking them regularly."
Biochemistry junior Liz Lavin said she was shocked by the high levels of caffeine found in the drinks.
"If you're getting that every day, I thought that was kind of a lot of caffeine," Lavin said.
Business sophomore student Mya Kutz said though she won’t be buying the charged lemonades, Panera could be doing more to make the signs obvious.
"Maybe if it was in color it would help," Kutz said. "I feel like sometimes when things are in color they're more likely to pop, and if they're not color it's going to be more likely glossed over."
If Panera was truly trying to warn their customers, Lavin said, they should make these signs a larger priority.
"I feel like it should be more in your face," Lavin said. "If it's a big concern like that, it should be more apparent."
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