a
Panera has already reduced the amount of caffeine in these drinks. I get one nearly every day and the amount of caffeine has been greatly reduced.
Red Bull is still on the market and it has allegedly contributed to ten or more deaths.
Unpopular opinion, but I am a fan of personal responsibility. The amount of caffeine posted or labeled don’t drink it if you are sensitive to caffeine. Just the same as a person who is allergic to shellfish or peanuts or chocolate would be report to eat shellfish or peanuts or chocolate. But I don’t want to see peanuts, shellfish, or chocolate taken off the market. JMO
RSBM
I have such mixed feelings on this whole thing, to be super honest. I drink either a Red Bull or two or multiple cups of coffee daily, often with a caffeinated black tea as well, and I have never had any adverse effects from caffeine. To be honest caffeine barely does anything for me except help me focus and calm down a tad. I didn't even realize, probably naively, how much caffeine can negatively impact people with certain health issues, particularly heart problems, until last year when my 60 y/o total health nut father wound up in the hospital for several days due to a bad heart episode that almost killed him. (Severe A-fib plus a bunch of other, much rarer issues with his heart valves that I don't understand and can't recall the names of). By the grace of God, he is fine now, but during that hospital stay his doctors told him to avoid caffeine. He never drank that much caffeine to begin with - only a few small cups of coffee w/ unsweetened almond milk per week - but he had drank a cup of coffee the day of his heart episode. In reality the coffee had nothing to do with the episode, he had had those underlying issues his whole life and just not known, but he was told to definitely avoid caffeine, just in case. I really did not know that caffeine had the potential to aggravate so many health conditions until he almost died and I was doing research. I do struggle with ADHD, which I guess is what makes caffeine not a trigger for me (common thing for ADHD people). But yeah, that was definitely a wake-up call.
I am a fan of personal responsibility too. Reflecting back on my dad, who has heart issues and avoids caffeine, I can truly see how highly cognizant he is of caffeine content and avoiding it at any cost. It is kind of confusing to me how many people with similar health issues to him, with similar warnings re: caffeine, don't seem to take it as seriously as he does and are more lax about it. However, conversely, as someone who teaches special education and works with disabled teens and younger kiddos, I can see it being a hurdle for disabled folks with those health concerns like that man who died. Or for ELL folks. I can see that being a big factor. I also think there should be some regulation of caffeine to an extent. But I really don't know where I fall on this issue. Personal responsibility
is important.
Panera doesn't need me to defend them, they're a massive and faceless corporation. But I do think consumers need to be educated on what they are purchasing. Someone has sensitives or is allergic to almost everything that can be consumed. Like you said, nut and shellfish allergies are very common, but nut butters and shrimp cocktails are still very accessible and purchasable for anyone.
) is key - perhaps that is what the FDA standards shall keep in mind?