OAN Staff Blake Wolf and Brooke Mallory
4:49 PM – Wednesday, July 16, 2025
President Donald Trump has announced that the Coca-Cola company will begin sweetening their coke sold in the United States with real cane sugar, as opposed to high fructose corn syrup.
President Trump made the announcement in a Tuesday Truth Social post, writing: “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!”
It is unclear when the change will occur. No official launch date or plan has been released.
Coca-Cola currently employs the use of high fructose corn syrup in the “U.S. version” of its soda, despite using cane sugar in other regions globally, like Mexico and the United Kingdom, partially due to “U.S. corn subsidies, domestic sugar prices, and high cost of tariffs on imported sugar.”
The soda maker has also argued that adding high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener is convenient for them due to its long shelf life and low cost. Nonetheless, many Americans prefer the taste of cane sugar–sweetened Coke, as seen with the popularity of Mexican Coke.
Cane sugar is a more “natural” sucrose with a 1:1 ratio of glucose and fructose. Though some blind taste tests show minor differences, many people argue that cane sugar tastes better or is easier on digestion
President Trump’s announcement regarding the imminent phase-out of high fructose corn syrup also aligns with the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement — crusaded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The health secretary previously declared that high fructose corn syrup “is just a formula for making you obese and diabetic.” High fructose corn syrup is commonly found in a variety of processed foods — including soda, candy, and ketchup.
“High fructose corn syrup is everywhere,” he emphasized.
President Trump is known to be a huge fan of Diet Coke, so much so, that the president has his own Diet Coke button in the Oval Office for “on demand service” of his favorite beverage.
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