Coca-Cola to release new Trump-approved version of the soda

Metro

6 days ago

Steve Charnock Published July 23, 2025 2:15pm Link is copied Comments Soda giant Coca-Cola is rolling out an all-new cane sugar-sweetened version of its world-famous signature drink, confirming a move that President Donald Trump teased last week. The beverage behemoth shared the update in its latest quarterly earnings report on Tuesday, saying that the drink will launch this fall and sit alongside - not replace - its current corn syrup–based line-up in the US. Trump claimed credit for the move on social media, saying it's a win for American consumers and their taste buds (Picture: AFP via Getty Images) 'This will be a very good move by them - You'll see. It's just better!' Trump had posted on Truth Social last week. He also wrote: '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.' Coca-Cola later responded that it 'appreciates President Trump's enthusiasm,' but made clear that the original recipe isn't changing. Instead, this is a new product aimed at meeting growing consumer interest in alternative sweeteners (Picture: SOPA/Getty Images) According to the company's Tuesday announcement, the cane sugar version is part of Coca-Cola's 'ongoing innovation agenda' and will be an additional option within its US portfolio. 'This addition is designed to complement the company's strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences,' a spokesperson said. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told analysts, 'We are definitely looking to use the whole toolkit of available sweetening options where there are consumer preferences' (Picture: Getty Images) Trump had reportedly raised the issue of corn syrup with Coke's top brass back in January. According to the book 2024: How Trump Retook the White House, the president even brought billionaire sugar magnate and political donor José Fanjul into the conversation, phoning him during the meeting to press the case for using cane sugar. The result, Trump later claimed online, was Coca-Cola's decision to develop a new formula sweetened with traditional sugar (Picture: NBCUniversal via Getty Images) In many countries, including Mexico, Coke is already made with cane sugar. And it's become something of a cult item in America under the nickname 'Mexican Coke'. Sold in glass bottles, the imported version has built a loyal following since it was introduced to US stores back in 2005. Now, the company hopes that a domestic cane sugar product will reach more shoppers who want that Mexican taste without the higher import price tag (Picture: Margo Martin) Still, not everyone is convinced this is a meaningful health move. While Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has publicly attacked high-fructose corn syrup as a major driver of obesity, nutrition experts remain sceptical. Kennedy once called the sweetener a 'formula for making you obese and diabetic' in an appearance on Jordan Peterson's podcast. But others caution that switching sweeteners doesn't necessarily make soda healthy… (Picture: Tucker Carlson/YouTube) 'Excess consumption of sugar from any source harms health,' Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, previously told CNN. 'To make the US food supply healthier, the Trump administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar.' Many dietitians also argue that cane sugar and corn syrup affect the body in much the same way, especially in the high quantities found in sugary soft drinks (Picture: REUTERS) Coca-Cola's move doesn't necessarily mark a return to pre-corn syrup days so much as merely a product expansion for them. The company shifted to high-fructose corn syrup in the 1980s because it was cheaper and more readily available thanks to US corn subsidies. Quincey noted that cane sugar already appears in some American Coca-Cola products like lemonade, vitamin water and coffee drinks, so this new cola isn't entirely uncharted territory for the brand (Picture: Getty Images) Meanwhile, PepsiCo has no plans to change its flagship formula, but is experimenting with sweetener variety in newer offerings. Its prebiotic soda and its recently acquired Poppi brand both contain cane sugar. CEO Ramon Laguarta recently told CNBC that sugar's high price in the United States poses a rather hefty challenge for the industry. 'There is a conversation with the government probably on how do we make sugar more affordable in the US,' he said (Picture: Getty Images)