Topline
President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Coca-Cola will switch its formulation in the U.S. to use cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, a change the company has not explicitly confirmed, while the corn refining industry warned that such a move could lead to job losses.
Coca-Cola has not explicitly confirmed Trump's claim but said details about new offerings "will be ... More
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday afternoon, Trump wrote that he has been “speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so.”
Trump said this will be a “very good move by them,” and added, “It’s just better!”
The president didn’t specify who he had spoken with and when such a move would happen.
In a statement shared with several outlets, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said, “We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand.”
The company, however, stopped short of confirming the change and said: “More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.”
At present, Coca-Cola uses high-fructose corn syrup to sweeten its soft drinks in the U.S.
The Corn Refiners Association, a trade body representing corn refiners in the country, pushed back against any change to Coke’s formulation in a statement on its website. “Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense. President Trump stands for American manufacturing jobs, American farmers, and reducing the trade deficit. Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit.”
President Trump’s post did not explicitly mention Coke’s use of corn syrup to sweeten its drinks or why he was pushing for such a change, other than his suggestion that cane sugar was “just better.” However, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Movement have been severely critical of the use of high-fructose corn syrup, seed oils, and artificial coloring in foods. In the past, Kennedy has blamed corn syrup as one of the culprits behind America’s “obesity epidemic.”
Coca-Cola sold in Mexico is sweetened using cane sugar, and this has turned the so-called “Mexicoke” into a cult favorite among some people who insist that it tastes better than U.S.-made Coke.
Trump Says Coca-Cola Agreed to Use Cane Sugar in Coke Made in U.S. (New York Times)
RFK Jr’s vow to ban syrup sows concern among corn farmers in Trump heartland (The Guardian)