‘It’s just better!’ Trump says he’s convinced Coca-Cola to use cane sugar

Beverage elephantine declines to either corroborate oregon contradict alteration to ingredients successful its signature brushed drink.

United States President Donald Trump has announced that Coca-Cola volition commencement utilizing cane sweetener alternatively of high-fructose maize syrup successful its US-made brushed portion astatine his urging.

“I person been speaking to Coca-Cola astir utilizing REAL Cane Sugar successful Coke successful the United States, and they person agreed to bash so,” Trump said successful a station connected Truth Social connected Wednesday.

“I’d similar to convey each of those successful authorization astatine Coca-Cola.”

Trump said the power would beryllium a “very bully move”, adding: “You’ll see. It’s conscionable better!”

Coca-Cola neither confirmed nor denied Trump’s announcement, but said it appreciated the president’s “enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand”.

“More details connected caller innovative offerings wrong our Coca-Cola merchandise scope volition beryllium shared soon,” the Atlanta, Georgia-based institution said successful a little statement.

"I person been speaking to @CocaCola astir utilizing REAL Cane Sugar successful Coke successful the United States, and they person agreed to bash so. I’d similar to convey each of those successful authorization astatine Coca-Cola. This volition beryllium a precise bully determination by them — You’ll see. It’s conscionable better!" –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/9L27oxlYUj

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 16, 2025

Trump, who is known for his emotion of Diet Coke, did not explicate his propulsion to alteration the archetypal mentation of the brushed drink’s ingredients, but his wellness secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has harshly criticised the prevalence of high-fructose maize syrup successful the American diet.

Kennedy, who has pledged to wage warfare connected ultra-processed foods containing ingredients seldom recovered successful room cabinets, has called the sweetener “just a look for making you obese and diabetic”.

High-fructose maize syrup, which is derived from maize starch, is favoured by galore US manufacturers due to the fact that it is cheaper than sugar, successful portion owed to authorities subsidies for maize and tariffs connected sweetener imports.

Coca-Cola began utilizing high-fructose maize syrup successful its US accumulation successful the 1980s, but inactive uses cane sweetener successful galore versions of its signature beverage made overseas, including Mexico, whose mentation of the portion has developed a cult-like pursuing for its supposedly superior taste.

While Americans’ precocious sweetener intake is simply a large contributor to astir three-quarters of the colonisation being overweight oregon obese, determination is presently nary technological statement to suggest high-fructose maize syrup is little steadfast than cane sweetener oregon different sweeteners.

In a 2018 information sheet, the US Food and Drug Administration said it was “not alert of immoderate evidence” of a “difference successful safety” betwixt foods containing high-fructose maize syrup and those with different sweeteners, specified arsenic sweetener and honey.