Corn Syrup Vs Cane Sugar: Why Trump Wants To Replace The Coca-Cola Ingredient

Unlike Coca-Cola in the UK and Mexico which uses cane sugar to sweeten its drinks, the US uses high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), but Trump says that's all about to change.

The US President took to social media on Wednesday to declare that American Coke will be changing its recipe.

'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. I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola,' he posted on Truth Social.

'This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!' he added.

Coca-Cola initially released a vague statement saying they appreciated Trump's enthusiasm but wouldn't confirm or deny whether it was true. However, they released another statement on Thursday defending their use of HFCS.

The War Against Corn Syrup

Trump's Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has strongly advocated against the use of corn syrup due to its health impacts.

HFCS, an artificial sugar made from corn syrup, has been linked to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other serious health issues. That's largely because about 55 percent of HFCS is made of fructose, which takes longer for the body to break down than glucose.

Countries like Mexico and the UK use cane sugar rather than HFCS to sweeten their coke as it contains significantly less fructose.

While Kennedy wants to ban the use of HFCS, corn growers argue the switch to cane sugar would result in an extreme number of job losses for American workers.

'Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn't make sense,' the Corn Refiners Association said in a statement released shortly after Trump's Truth Social post.

'President Trump stands for American manufacturing jobs, American farmers, and reducing the trade deficit. 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,' they stated.

Coca-Cola Defends Their Use of Corn Syrup

Coca-Cola has released two statements regarding Trump's claim they would be switching to cane sugar.

A spokesperson from Coca-Cola initially said in a statement to CNN, '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.'

The company released an additional statement on Thursday defending its use of HFCS.

Coca-Cola explained that HFCS is 'just a sweetener made from corn,' and said it was safe, comparing the number of calories in HFCS per serving to table sugar.

They added that the American Medical Association 'has confirmed that HFCS is no more likely to contribute to obesity than table sugar or other full-calorie sweeteners.'

'Please be assured that Coca-Cola brand soft drinks do not contain any harmful substances,' they said.

Trump Is A Known Coca-Cola Enjoyer

Trump is an avid enjoyer of Diet Coke, which doesn't contain HFCS or cane sugar. Instead, it uses a low-calorie artificial sweetener called aspartame.

It's well known that the president has a 'Diet Coke button' near his desk in the Oval Office. Pressing the button summons a staff member to bring him the drink.

Trump was also given an Inaugural Diet Coke Bottle for his second swearing-in by Coca-Cola chairman James Quincey.

However, it hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows between Trump and Coca-Cola.

The soft drink company spoke out against Georgia's laws restricting voting access in 2021 due to it being Coca-Cola's home state.

Tensions between the pair go back as far as 2012, with Trump posting on X, 'The Coca Cola company is not happy with me—that's okay, I'll still keep drinking that garbage.'