US President Donald Trump has said that Coca-Cola has agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar in its iconic soft drink, following his intervention — a claim the beverage giant has neither confirmed nor denied.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr Trump stated on Wednesday that he had been in communication with Coca-Cola executives, urging them to return to what he termed “REAL Cane Sugar” in the US-made version of the popular drink.
“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,” he wrote, expressing gratitude to the company’s leadership. “You’ll see. It’s just better!”
Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, Georgia, issued a brief statement in response to Mr Trump’s announcement, stopping short of verifying the claim.
“We appreciate the President’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand,” the statement said. “More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.”
Mr Trump, who is known for his frequent consumption of Diet Coke, did not elaborate on the reasoning behind his push to alter the original formula of Coca-Cola.
However, his Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has repeatedly criticised the widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup in processed foods, describing it as “a formula for making you obese and diabetic”.
Mr Kennedy, who has vowed to confront the food industry over what he calls “ultra-processed” ingredients, has targeted sweeteners that do not commonly appear in standard household kitchens.
High-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener derived from corn starch, became the sweetening agent of choice in the US in the 1980s, primarily due to its low cost—facilitated by federal corn subsidies and import tariffs on foreign sugar.
Despite its prevalence, the syrup has long been at the centre of a health debate, although scientific authorities remain divided on whether it poses greater health risks than other sugars.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in a 2018 fact sheet, stated it was “not aware of any evidence” suggesting a difference in safety between high-fructose corn syrup and alternative sweeteners such as cane sugar or honey.
Outside the United States, Coca-Cola is often manufactured using cane sugar. In particular, the Mexican version of the beverage — which uses the traditional ingredient — has gained a cult following among enthusiasts who claim it tastes better.
Nutritionists point out that while reducing overall sugar consumption is critical to combating obesity, substituting one form of sugar for another may not yield significant health benefits on its own.
An estimated 73 percent of American adults are classified as overweight or obese, with sugary beverages remaining a leading source of added sugars in the average American diet.
