The Food and Drug Administration is “gathering information” on the death of Sarah Katz — a 21-year-old college student who died after allegedly drinking a caffeinated beverage.
According to legal documents obtained by People magazine, Sarah had stopped by Panera Bread on Sept. 10, 2022, and ordered a 30-ounce “Charged Lemonade,” which contained about 390 milligrams of caffeine. The young woman subsequently experienced cardiac arrest and died shortly after at a hospital.
A medical examiner concluded the cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia due to Long QT Type 1 Syndrome, which can result in irregular heart rhythms. Sarah was reportedly diagnosed with the condition at age 5, and made bi-annual visits to a cardiologist. According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her parents, Jill and Michael Katz, Sarah managed her LQTS with medication and made sure to limit her caffeine intake by avoiding highly caffeinated beverages.
The complaint states Sarah mistook the “Charged Lemonade” as “a traditional lemonade and/or electrolyte sports drink containing a reasonable amount of caffeine safe for her to drink.” They’ve accused Panera Bread of misleading customers about its “Charged Lemonade” offerings, and failing to properly inform customers about the drinks’ contents.
“Instead, Defendants market, advertise, and sell Panera Charged Lemonade as a product that is ‘Plant-based and Clean with as much caffeine as our Dark Roast Coffee,’” the lawsuit read, adding that the chain does “not specify what size of Panera Dark Roast coffee is akin to a Panera Charged Lemonade.”
FDA says healthy adults shouldn’t consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is about four or five cups of coffee. Sarah’s parents argue Panera Bread had an obligation to label the beverage as an “energy drink,” and wants the chain to properly label the item or remove it from its menu entirely.
The FDA said it can neither confirm nor deny any investigation into Sarah’s death, but said it is looking into the matter.
“The FDA is saddened to hear of the passing of a consumer and as always, takes seriously reports of illnesses or injury from regulated products,” an FDA spokesperson said in a statement to People. “At this point, we are gathering information about this event. The agency monitors the marketplace of FDA-regulated products and takes action as appropriate, including collaborating with the Federal Trade Commission regarding marketing claims.”
Sarah’s family is seeking punitive and compensatory damages.
“If the FDA is going to look into this, then the FDA may make changes, and if it prevents this from happening to someone else, then the family is going to feel like they’ve done the right thing here,” Sarah’s mom said told NBC News. “That is the only thing that I think is getting them through day in and day out, is knowing that they are saving lives.”
