Sarah Katz once dreamed of riding a roller coaster. In a high school essay, she recalled a second-grade trip to Six Flags in her hometown in New Jersey. She wrote about how much she wanted to ride the “biggest and scariest” coaster in the park and experience “what it would be like to fly.”
That dream remained unreachable. Katz lived with a heart condition that required constant caution. She was not allowed to ride roller coasters or play team sports. While she was permitted to drink coffee, she chose not to. Instead, she took nadolol, a beta blocker, to keep her heart rate low. Doctors also advised her to avoid energy drinks, guidance her family and attorneys say she followed strictly.
Katz’s death led her parents to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Panera Bread. The complaint alleges that the company’s 30-ounce Charged Lemonade triggered a cardiac arrhythmia that killed their 21-year-old daughter. Her case was the first of several lawsuits tied to the drink.
On March 25, Katz’s parents brought their advocacy to Capitol Hill. Working with their congressional representative, Robert Menendez Jr., they helped draft the bipartisan Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act. The proposal would require clearer labeling of caffeine content on energy drinks and mandate that restaurants flag menu items containing more than 150 milligrams of caffeine.
The Charged Lemonade drink Katz consumed contained 390 milligrams of caffeine. That amount is close to the recommended maximum daily intake of 400 milligrams for adults. It exceeds the combined caffeine content of drinks such as Red Bull and Monster Energy.
READ: Is Coca-Cola shifting to real sugar in drinks not a good thing? (July 23, 2025)
The lawsuit also alleges that the Charged Lemonade was displayed alongside non-caffeinated or less caffeinated beverages at the Panera location near the University of Pennsylvania, where Katz was a student. Paramedics arrived shortly after she collapsed but were unable to save her. As one account noted, in such cases, the first episode can often be fatal.
Questions around caffeine regulation remain. Two years after Katz’s death, a cardiologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where Katz had worked as a research assistant, published a report calling for stricter oversight. In “Cardiovascular Toxicity of Energy Drinks in Youth: A Call for Regulation,” Dr. Victoria L. Vetter wrote that the United States is among the least regulated and most profitable energy drink markets. Between 2008 and 2015, there were 38 reported deaths linked to energy drinks and about 14,000 toxicity cases reported to the Food and Drug Administration and the National Poison Data System.
The FDA regulates caffeine differently depending on its form. Over-the-counter drugs must list caffeine content and associated risks, while carbonated beverages with added caffeine are subject to limits. Other products face fewer restrictions.
Some critics have raised concerns that new rules could amount to a caffeine ban. Representative Menendez Jr. has pushed back on that idea.
“I assure you it’s not a ban,” he told the New York Post. “I still drink Diet Coke. I occasionally have a Celsius.” He added that energy drinks often contain additional stimulants that consumers may not recognize, underscoring the need for greater transparency.
Panera Bread has since removed Charged Lemonade from its menu. In its place, the company now promotes a lower caffeine option called the Energy Refresher. According to its website, the drink contains 28 milligrams of caffeine per 20 fluid ounces and is made with green coffee extract.