A COLLEGE student’s heart condition led her to leave a cautious life.

But that life was cut short at 21 after she suffered an arrhythmia hours after consuming a highly caffeinated drink from Panera.

Headshot of Sarah Katz, a young woman with curly brown hair, smiling.
Sarah Katz died at the age of 21 from cardiac arrest hours after she consumed a drink with almost 400 milligrams of caffeineCredit: Family Handout
 

Jill Katz speaks at a press conference with Michael Katz and Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) to promote caffeine safety legislation.
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) (L) joined Jill and Michael Katz in drafting the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, in honor of their late daughterCredit: Getty
Sarah Katz’s heart condition, long QT syndrome, made it so that she never got to play team sports or ride “the biggest and scariest” coaster at Six Flags – something she had always dreamed of.

While she was allowed to drink coffee, she opted not to. She took her daily nadolol, a beta blocker meant to lower one’s heart rate, and steered away from energy drinks, as per her doctor’s request.

But one day in 2022, using her Sip Club membership at Panera, she drank a Charged Lemonade, containing nearly 400 milligrams of caffeine.

She suffered cardiac arrest later that day and died suddenly.

Katz’s mother, Jill Katz, told The New York Post that doctors said her daughter’s condition, discovered after she suffered a seizure at the age of five during a swim lesson, would be manageable.

“Very often the first episode is death,” Jill said in the report published on Wednesday.

“Once you find it, it’s just like any other type of condition that you need to manage, like diabetes or a food allergy,” Jill explained.

“It can be life-threatening in some cases, but if you do the right things, you’ll be OK.”

Katz’s parents have since advocated for change and transparency, bringing the matter to lawmakers in Washington DC after filing a wrongful death lawsuit in 2023 alleging Panera’s 30-ounce Charged Lemonade caused the cardiac arrhythmia that ultimately killed the 21-year-old.

Three Panera Bread Charged Lemonades in clear cups: one red, one pink with a splash, and one orange.
Panera’s Charged Lemonades were ultimately discontinued after several lawsuits came out against the brand’s drinksCredit: Panera Bread
The family partnered with Democratic Representative Robert Menendez in 2024 to draft up the bipartisan Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, which would require restaurants to flag menu items that contain over 150 milligrams of caffeine.

The law will also require the caffeine content labels on energy drinks to be clear.

Jill, who is a lawyer, has since immersed herself into the legality of energy drink marketing.

“It’s history repeating itself with the tobacco industry,” she told The Post.

“They actively target children and teens to get them hooked.”

Panera’s 30-ounce Charged Lemonade contained 390 milligrams of caffeine, which is just 10 milligrams under the recommended total maximum daily intake for an adult.

The family’s lawsuit claimed that Panera advertised the beverage alongside “noncaffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks” at the location she visited on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus.

Jill and Michael Katz speak during a news conference about the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act.
Jill and Michael Katz have advocated for more transparency with caffeine content on energy drink labelsCredit: Getty
 


Sarah’s parents brought their demands for change to lawmakers in DCCredit: Getty
Several other lawsuits came out against Panera’s caffeinated beverages after Katz’s.

The Charged Lemonade was ultimately scrapped from the menu, but later replaced with the Energy Refresher, which contains 28 milligrams of caffeine per 20 fluid ounces.

Before the item was discontinued, Panera updated its menu advising customers to “use in moderation,” adding it was “NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.”

Jill and Menendez explained they aren’t calling for a flat out ban with the legislation, but are rather demanding transparency.

“I assure you it’s not a ban,” the New Jersey representative told The Post. “I still drink Diet Cokes. I occasionally have a Celsius.”

“Increasingly it’s not just caffeine [in energy drinks] but other stimulants that you might not be aware of.

“That greater transparency is something people crave right now.”

Some brands voluntarily disclose their caffeine content, such as Red Bull.

But Menendez says more could be done as the growing energy drink market offers around 500 brands to consumers.

“This is a common issue in the young adult demographic,” he explained. “Even for me, in law school I would have as many Red Bulls as I needed to study for a final exam, and I never thought twice about it.”

Jill said the bill is “just like disclosures for calories or if something contains peanuts.”

“I don’t want to see in teeny, tiny black print whether it’s a bunny hill or a double black diamond that I’m about to go down.”