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Panera's Charged Lemonade is under fire from consumers and regulators after lawsuits claimed the highly caffeinated drink was the cause of long-term health problems and even death.
Now the chain has decided to remove the drink from its range as part of major menu changes.
RELATED: '100% should be illegal': Woman reveals staggering amounts of caffeine in Panera soda
“We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera and are next focusing on the wide range of drinks we know our guests want – from exciting, trendy flavors to sugary and low-caffeine options,” a Panera spokesperson told CNBC.
According to Bloomberg, Panera will begin discontinuing the drink in the next two weeks, replacing it with a “wide selection of drinks” including a blueberry lavender lemonade, a pomegranate hibiscus tea, a citrus punch and a tropical green smoothie.
The drink has been the focus of three major lawsuits, two of which were filed on behalf of the families of 21-year-old Sarah Katz and 46-year-old Dennis Brown. Both died after allegedly consuming the Charged Lemonade, citing pre-existing medical conditions.
Another lawsuit filed in January alleged that 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt developed long-term heart problems after eating two and a half Charged Lemoandes from Panera.
“If you put an innocuous product like soda in an innocuous bakery-café like Panera, what reasonable consumer is going to think they're essentially drinking three Red Bulls?” Skerrit's attorney, Elizabeth Crawford, said at the time. “Everything in her life has changed because of this situation.”
According to Panera's nutritional information, a large 30 oz. Each serving of Charged Lemonade contains 390 mg of caffeine as well as guarana extract, a natural stimulant.
Related: Panera sues over alleged heart problems linked to soda pop
According to the FDA, the maximum amount of caffeine an average adult can safely consume per day is 400 mg, although the average adult consumes about 135 mg of caffeine daily.
Panera did not immediately respond to the business owner's request for comment.
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