WASHINGTON D.C. – President Donald Trump announced that Coca-Cola will begin using cane sugar instead of artificial sweeteners in its products in the U.S., with production expected to start next year.
Trump stated on Truth Social that Coca-Cola had accepted his suggestion to replace High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) with cane sugar. ‘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,’ Trump said. ‘I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola.’
The company followed up with a statement, saying ‘We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand. More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.’
Experts indicate that if Coca-Cola were to cease using corn syrup in the U.S. and incorporate cane sugar into all its beverages, it would incur an additional cost of $800 million to $900 million annually. This is because corn syrup is cheaper in the U.S. due to a combination of agricultural subsidies and sugar import tariffs.
A gallon of Coca-Cola typically contains 0.9 pounds of HFCS. With the company selling approximately 3 billion gallons of beverages annually in the U.S., this translates to roughly 2.7 billion pounds of artificial sweetener being added each year. According to the USDA, the average price difference between HFCS and refined cane sugar is estimated to be about $0.30 per pound.
