According to President Donald Trump, Coca-Cola has committed to using real cane sugar in its US-sold beverages. Although Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed concern about the ingredient’s potential health effects, Coca-Cola still uses corn syrup in its American goods. “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 said on social media. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola.” Without providing a precise confirmation of the recipe change, a Coca-Cola official said that they “appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm” and that “more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon”.
“This will be a very good move by them,” Trump wrote in his post on Truth Social on Wednesday. It’s simply superior. While corn syrup is commonly used to sweeten Coke sold in the United States, cane sugar is more commonly used in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Australia. According to James Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola, “we continue to make progress on sugar reduction in our beverages” in April. To increase interest in and knowledge of its continually growing portfolio, the Atlanta-based company has “done this by changing recipes as well as by using our global marketing resources and distribution network,” he added. However, American maize growers may experience a harsh aftertaste if cane sugar is chosen in its place.
John Bode, president and chief executive officer of the Corn Refiners Association, said that “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.” Due to a long list of health issues, the US health secretary and his Make America Healthy Again campaign have pushed on businesses to eliminate substances like corn syrup, seed oils, and artificial dyes from their products. Kennedy allegedly intends to revise national dietary guidelines this summer and has also expressed disapproval of the amount of sugar Americans consume. Trump regularly consumes Diet Coke, which has the artificial sweetener aspartame in it. In order to serve him the Coke, a button was installed in the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.
