Health

Trump Says Coca-Cola Agrees to Use Cane Sugar in US Products

Published JUL 17 2025

Story

Above: Image credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The Facts

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social that Coca-Cola has agreed to use real cane sugar in its US-produced beverages following discussions between Trump and company executives.
The New York Times
FOX News
Coca-Cola declined to explicitly confirm the ingredient change, with a spokesperson stating the company "appreciates President Trump's enthusiasm" and that "more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon."
Reuters
CNN
Newsweek
The announcement aligns with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again initiative, which has pressured food companies to remove ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes, and other additives from their products.
NBC
Daily Mail
Investigate Midwest
Coca-Cola currently uses high-fructose corn syrup in U.S. products but employs cane sugar in beverages sold in other countries, including Mexico, the U.K., and Australia, with Mexican Coke having developed a following among American consumers who prefer its taste.
RTE.ie
The Telegraph
FOX News
The Corn Refiners Association strongly opposed the potential change, with President John Bode stating 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."
The Washington Post
www.ft.com
Medical experts have found no significant nutritional differences between cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, with both sweeteners having similar health impacts when consumed at equal calorie levels, though the change would not affect Trump's preferred Diet Coke, which uses aspartame.
USA Today
New York Post
Time

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

This move represents a victory for health-conscious Americans who deserve better ingredients in their food and beverages. High-fructose corn syrup has been linked to obesity and other health problems, while cane sugar offers a cleaner, more natural alternative that consumers clearly prefer, as evidenced by Mexican Coke's popularity. The Make America Healthy Again initiative is finally forcing big corporations to prioritize public health over profits.

FOX News

New York Post

Establishment-critical narrative

Switching to cane sugar makes no economic sense and would devastate American corn farmers while providing zero health benefits. This change would eliminate thousands of manufacturing jobs, depress farm income and increase reliance on foreign sugar imports, contradicting Trump's America First agenda. Both sweeteners are nutritionally equivalent, making this an expensive solution to a non-existent problem.

The Washington Post

USA Today