Coca-Cola agrees to switch to cane sugar in US drinks, Trump says
President Donald Trump says Coca-Cola agreed to start using cane sugar in their U.S. beverages, similar to the recipes used in other countries.
Coca-Cola will add a new soda beverage made with real cane sugar this fall, the company says.
Coca-Cola announced the development in its second-quarter report, according to a news release on Tuesday, July 22. The beverage company was reticent last week when President Donald Trump proclaimed on July 16 that Coca-Cola had agreed to use real cane sugar for its soda beverages sold in the U.S.
The Atlanta-based company did not announce that switch, however, but said that this fall Coca-Cola “plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range,” according to the news release. “This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.”
It will carry the Coke name. “Yes, as noted in the release, this will be under the Coke trademark,” Coca-Cola spokesperson Scott Leith said in an email exchange with USA TODAY.
Coca-Cola currently uses high fructose corn syrup to sweeten its U.S. products while cane sugar is used in other countries, including Mexico. There’s been a long-running debate on whether Mexican Coke is better than Coke in the U.S.
President Trump announced July 16 on Truth Social that Coca-Cola would switch from high fructose corn syrup to cane sugar.
“I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” Trump wrote. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them – You’ll see. It’s just better!”
After Trump’s announcement on July 16, a Coke spokesperson told USA TODAY it appreciated the president’s enthusiasm for its product and that it would release details on new offerings soon.
Trump’s announcement, in part, supports Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s efforts to change U.S. food production and consumption away from ingredients such as artificial dyes. While his Make America Healthy Again has deemed both sweeteners unhealthy, some scientists say sugar has some nutritional benefits over high fructose corn.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo and Reuters
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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