Coca-Cola will be abandoning high-fructose corn syrup for real cane sugar, thanks to President Donald Trump. Coca-Cola announced Tuesday that it’s launching a line of drinks sweetened with U.S. cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup after Trump spoke with company leaders.
The move reflects the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which advocates for natural and healthy alternatives to ultra-processed foods.
However, there are those who do not consider this change more of the same and not really a good thing. “These one ingredient changes don’t make these foods healthy,” said Marion Nestle, professor emeritus of nutrition and public health at New York University. “They’re not going to make any difference unless they change the dietary intake of what people are eating.”
Substituting cane sugar for high-fructose corn syrup is more like a cosmetic change, said Priya Fielding-Singh, director of policy and programs at George Washington University’s Global Food Institute.
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It “feels like a bit of a misplaced effort,” she told Axios.
Coca-Cola said Tuesday that a new Coke offering made with cane sugar will appear on shelves this fall alongside traditional, high-fructose corn syrup Coke.
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nonetheless welcomed the announcement, telling Axios in a statement that “Americans deserve access to the same natural foods that other countries enjoy and we are delivering that.”
Coca-Cola and cane sugar
Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most iconic beverages, was invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally formulated as a medicinal tonic, the drink contained coca leaf extract and kola nut, a source of caffeine, which gave it its name. The original recipe used cane sugar as the primary sweetener, aligning with the sweetening practices of the era.
Throughout the early 20th century, Coca-Cola expanded rapidly across the United States and internationally, maintaining its formula sweetened with cane sugar. Cane sugar remained a staple ingredient until the 1980s, when economic factors and trade policies led to a shift in sweetener use in the U.S. In response to rising cane sugar prices and the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a cheaper alternative, Coca-Cola began replacing cane sugar with HFCS in its American products.
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Today, most Coca-Cola sold in the U.S. is sweetened with HFCS, while many international markets, particularly in Latin America and Europe, continue to use cane sugar. Some specialty versions, such as Mexican Coke, available in glass bottles, are prized by consumers for their cane sugar content and are perceived to have a different taste.
The change in sweeteners marks a significant point in Coca-Cola’s history, reflecting broader economic and agricultural trends. Despite changes in ingredients, Coca-Cola has maintained its position as a leading global brand, and its connection to cane sugar remains an important part of its legacy and identity in many parts of the world.
Coca-Cola’s return to using cane sugar in some U.S. products reflects both a nod to its historical roots and growing consumer demand for more natural ingredients. While the shift from high-fructose corn syrup may be seen as a positive marketing move, nutrition experts caution that such changes are largely cosmetic and unlikely to impact overall public health. Still, the reintroduction of cane sugar highlights the evolving conversation around food ingredients, health, and consumer choice.