In a move that could change the game for American food companies, US President Donald Trump has announced that Coca-Cola will start using cane sugar in its beverages in the US.
According to Trump, he had been in talks with the company, and they have agreed to make the switch.
“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.
I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
A Boost for Florida’s Sugarcane Producers
Trump’s home state of Florida is the nation’s top sugarcane producer, and this move could be a significant boost to the local economy.
A spokesperson for Coca-Cola confirmed that the company would be sharing details on new offerings soon and appreciated Trump’s enthusiasm for their product.
A Move Away from Corn Syrup
Currently, Coca-Cola produced for the US market is sweetened with corn syrup, while the company uses cane sugar in some other countries.
The “Make America Healthy Again” Initiative
The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative has been pushing food companies to alter their formulations to remove ingredients like artificial dyes. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has been critical of the amount of sugar consumed in the American diet and has said that updated dietary guidelines released this summer will advise Americans to eat “whole food”.
A May report by the MAHA Commission, a panel convened by Trump, said substantial consumption of high-fructose corn syrup could play a role in childhood obesity and other conditions.
Medical Experts Weigh In
While medical experts recommend limiting added sugar in diets, they have not identified significant differences between cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.
Corn Producers Push Back
Corn producers, concentrated in the US Midwest, have long wielded considerable influence over lawmakers in Washington.
They argue 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.