Coca-Cola announced on Tuesday a significant shift in part of its iconic formula: starting this fall, the company will launch a new version of its popular soft drink made with cane sugar instead of the traditional high-fructose corn syrup. The move, part of Coca-Cola’s innovation strategy, comes just a week after President Donald Trump claimed on his social media platform Truth that the change was made at his request.
“As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, the company plans to introduce a U.S.-produced cane sugar option to expand the Coca-Cola brand’s product range,” the company said in a brief statement that also reported its second-quarter financial results.
Trump quickly took credit for the decision. “I’ve been talking to Coca-Cola about using REAL cane sugar in Coca-Cola in the United States, and they’ve agreed to do it. I’d like to thank everyone at Coca-Cola. It’s a very smart move — you’ll see. It’s just better!” he posted last Tuesday. His enthusiasm aligned with his administration’s health campaign, led by Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., under the slogan MAHA (“Make America Healthy Again”), which targets artificial sweeteners and food dyes.
Trump, a well-known fan of Diet Coke —which ironically contains neither sugar nor corn syrup— once had a red button installed on the Resolute Desk during his first term to summon a White House butler to bring him one on demand. After his post on Truth, Coca-Cola responded diplomatically, thanking him for his “enthusiasm” and promising more details soon — which came this Tuesday.
While the company didn’t elaborate further, the announcement has sparked concern among U.S. corn producers, whose crops are used in the manufacture of artificial sweeteners. John Bode, president of the Corn Refiners Association, criticized the move, stating that “replacing high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar makes no sense.” He warned that the switch could cost thousands of jobs in the food manufacturing sector, lower farmers’ incomes, and increase reliance on foreign sugar imports — all without offering any clear nutritional benefit.
Despite Coca-Cola’s famously “secret recipe,” the formula has never been entirely uniform. Since 2005, the company has imported glass-bottle Coca-Cola made with cane sugar from Mexico to cater to American fans who prefer its taste. The formula varies across countries, and many devoted consumers claim to taste the difference.
Coca-Cola has long sought to maintain a positive relationship with the Republican leader. In 2021, the company presented Trump with a commemorative Diet Coke bottle celebrating his second inauguration and donated nearly $290,000 to his inauguration events.
The launch of a cane sugar Coca-Cola line could make waves in the U.S. market — not only for its commercial implications but also for the political undertones surrounding what seems, on the surface, like a simple recipe tweak to the world’s most famous soft drink.
