President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday, July 16, that Coca-Cola will begin using real cane sugar in its flagship U.S. soda — at his suggestion. However, according to NBC News, the company has not confirmed the change.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had spoken with Coca-Cola executives and that they “agreed” to shift away from high-fructose corn syrup. “This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!” Trump wrote.
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A Coca-Cola spokesperson did not address whether the company had agreed to the change. “We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand,” the company said, adding that details on “new innovative offerings” would be shared soon.
What’s Coca-Cola’s current sweetener policy?
Coca-Cola uses high-fructose corn syrup in its U.S. soft drinks. The company began using the sweetener in 1980 to offset rising sugar costs, according to reporting from The New York Times. Some of its products, including Mexican Coke and kosher-for-Passover versions, already use cane sugar.
Since 2005, the company has imported Mexican Coke, sweetened with cane sugar, to meet demand from U.S. consumers, especially in areas with large Hispanic populations.
What do corn industry groups say?
The Corn Refiners Association criticized Trump’s statement, warning that a shift from corn syrup to cane sugar could hurt American farmers and food manufacturing jobs.
“Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense,” CEO John Bode said in a statement, arguing the move would depress farm incomes and increase reliance on foreign sugar.
Is this part of a broader health push?
Trump’s comments align with the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy has been outspoken against high-fructose corn syrup and other additives, blaming them for fueling the nation’s obesity problem.
As of now, Coca-Cola has not released any official timeline or confirmation that a switch to cane sugar is happening. The company’s statement left room for speculation but offered no specifics on reformulation plans.
