US President Donald Trump made a claim on social media that he convinced Coca-Cola to switch from high-fructose corn syrup to sugar cane in its US drinks. The company has since pushed back, stating their use of corn syrup is safe and meets the American Medical Association’s standards.
Coca-Cola initially responded with a neutral statement thanking Trump for his “enthusiasm” but later released an additional statement praising high-fructose corn syrup. The company emphasized that HFCS is just as sweet as table sugar and is metabolized similarly by the body, citing the AMA’s endorsement of its safe use.
Trump’s announcement comes amid controversy over his handling of Jeffrey Epstein files. Coca-Cola uses artificial sweeteners like aspartame in Diet Coke, which is not affected by Trump’s claims. A switch to sugar cane could impact the $285bn US soft drinks market and trade implications for the company.
Coca-Cola has previously clashed with Trump over voting access issues but received an inaugural Diet Coke bottle from him before his second inauguration. The company’s use of corn syrup was switched in the 1980s, driven by US farming subsidies, making a return to sugar cane more complicated due to ongoing tariffs on imported sugar.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/17/trump-coca-cola-cane-sugar-corn-syrup