Coca-Cola confirmed Tuesday that it will introduce a new version of its namesake soda made with U.S. cane sugar this fall, following public pressure from President Donald Trump and amid broader discussions on food reform under the administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative.
"As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range," the company said in its earnings release.
The announcement comes after Trump posted on Truth Social that he had "been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so." Coca-Cola had initially declined to confirm the news last week, though it acknowledged the president's "enthusiasm" for the brand.
CEO James Quincey stated on the company's Tuesday earnings call that he believes the cane sugar version "will be an enduring option for consumers." He added, "We are definitely looking to use the whole toolkit of available sweetening options where there are consumer preferences."
The new product will not replace the flagship Coca-Cola formula, which will continue to use high-fructose corn syrup. Instead, the cane sugar Coke will be a separate addition to the brand's U.S. lineup, similar to Coca-Cola products already sold in Mexico and Europe. The company already incorporates cane sugar in products like lemonade, coffee, tea, and Vitamin Water.
The initiative aligns with efforts led by Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to reduce the use of artificial dyes and processed ingredients. Kennedy has previously criticized high-fructose corn syrup as a "formula for making you obese and diabetic."
However, health experts and industry analysts remain skeptical about the health implications of swapping sweeteners. "To make the U.S. food supply healthier, the Trump administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar," said Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, explained, "Both high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are about 50% fructose, 50% glucose, and have identical metabolic effects." He warned that both contribute to obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The Corn Refiners Association responded sharply to the move, warning of economic consequences. "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 group said in a statement.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, domestic cane sugar production-centered in Texas, Florida, and Louisiana-accounts for only about 30% of total U.S. sugar supply. The remainder comes from sugar beets or is imported, meaning any shift toward cane sugar could have broader implications for pricing and trade policy.
