President Donald Trump announced this week that Coca-Cola would begin using cane sugar in U.S. products instead of high-fructose corn syrup, which is used by a relatively small number of countries worldwide.
Newsweek reached out to Coca-Cola for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Trump’s announcement comes amid a debate about the use of sweeteners in soft drinks, with some consumers viewing high-fructose corn syrup—which is used in the United States in part due to cost considerations and agricultural subsidies—as less healthy than cane sugar or beet sugar, which are used by most other countries.
Some experts, however, say that high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are nutritionally similar.
Coca-Cola has not confirmed Trump’s post, with a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek, “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.”
What To Know
Many Americans are familiar with “Mexican Coke,” a soda preferred by some consumers for its distinctive taste and the fact that it does not contain high-fructose corn syrup.
Coca-Cola produced in Mexico instead uses cane sugar and has become increasingly popular across the U.S. Similarly, the company makes a variety using cane sugar around passover, as many of the Jewish faith avoid products using high-fructose corn syrup during that time.
Across the globe, however, most countries use a variety of cane sugar or beet sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
The U.S. and Canada are notable exceptions, where high-fructose corn syrup is more commonly used in Coca-Cola products, according to the company’s website, which lists ingredients for its products worldwide.
High-fructose corn syrup is also listed as an ingredient on the Coca-Cola websites for some Eastern European countries, such as Croatia, Hungary, and Kosovo.
Some countries, such as Argentina and Japan, list both sugar and high-fructose corn syrup as their sweeteners online.
Countries ranging from South America to Europe and Asia more commonly use sucrose, derived from cane or beet sugar, in Coca-Cola.
This map, using data from the nutritional facts listed by Coca-Cola online, shows which countries use sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The list may not be entirely comprehensive, as ingredients were not listed for every single country.
American Coke switched to high-fructose corn syrup in the 1980s, as it was less expensive to use than cane sugar. Switching back to cane sugar could lead to some price increases in the U.S.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, Wednesday on Truth Social: “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. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!”
Coca-Cola, on X: “The name sounds complex, but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – which we use to sweeten some of our beverages – is actually just a sweetener made from corn. It’s safe; it has about the same number of calories per serving as table sugar and is metabolized in a similar way by your body. 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. All Coca-Cola brand products are wholesome beverages manufactured in compliance with the federal law governing food safety and labeling, the laws of all the states, and the laws of over 200 countries throughout the world where they are sold.”
What Happens Next
Coca-Cola has not made a formal announcement regarding plans to switch to cane sugar. The company has also not released a timeline for when this switch could potentially occur.
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