Trump says Coca-Cola to switch to cane sugar in US
The company currently uses high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its domestic beverages -- a sweetener that has long drawn criticism from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement.
'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,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
'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!'
The US president did not explain what motivated his push for the change, which would not impact his well-known favorite beverage, Diet Coke.
Since his return to the White House, Trump has re-installed a special button in the Oval Office which summons a helping of the sugar-free carbonated drink.
Coca-Cola did not immediately confirm the ingredient shift.
'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 said in a short statement.
HFCS became popular in the 1970s, with its use skyrocketing thanks to government subsidies for corn growers and high import tariffs on cane sugar.
Any shift away from corn is likely to draw backlash in the Corn Belt, a Midwestern region that has been a stronghold of support for Trump.
Both HFCS and sucrose (cane sugar) are composed of fructose and glucose. However, they differ structurally: HFCS contains free (unbonded) fructose and glucose in varying ratios -- 55/45 in soft drinks -- while sucrose consists of the two sugars chemically bonded together.
These structural differences, however, don't appear to significantly affect health outcomes.
A 2022 review of clinical studies found no meaningful differences between HFCS and sucrose in terms of weight gain or heart health.
The only notable distinction was an increase in a marker of inflammation in people consuming HFCS. Overall, both sweeteners appear similarly impactful when consumed at equal calorie levels.
Despite this, Mexican Coke -- which is made with cane sugar -- is often sold at a premium in US stores and prized for its more 'natural' flavor.
Trump's prized Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame -- a compound classified as a 'possible carcinogen' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
30 minutes ago
- The Star
US House poised to send stablecoin bill to Trump after 'crypto week' drama
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo (Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives appeared poised to pass key crypto legislation on Thursday, including the creation of a regulatory framework for U.S.-dollar-pegged cryptocurrency tokens known as stablecoins, after two days of fraught negotiations. House lawmakers in Washington were due to convene on Thursday afternoon to consider passing the stablecoin bill and another that would develop a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies more broadly. The stablecoin measure, which has already been agreed to in the Senate, is expected to pass and move on to be signed by President Donald Trump as soon as Friday. That would be a major victory for the digital assets industry, marking the first major crypto law enacted in the United States and paving the way for greater integration of crypto into traditional financial markets. Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a constant value, usually a 1:1 dollar peg, are commonly used by crypto traders to move funds. They have gained much momentum in recent years, offering faster and cheaper transaction costs than moving money through a bank. Their use has grown rapidly in recent years, and proponents say they could be used to send payments instantly. The week's negotiations to consider the legislation - dubbed "crypto week" by Republican lawmakers - ran into unexpected hurdles after some conservative hold-outs voted against considering the measures. Trump huddled with skeptics at the White House on Tuesday to try to save the initiative. Even after Trump announced an agreement, it still took about nine hours for the bills to clear key procedural hurdles late on Wednesday as private talks continued. In negotiations that went late into Wednesday evening, lawmakers decided to include language to prohibit the United States from issuing a central bank digital currency in an unrelated defense spending bill as a compromise to conservatives who strongly supported the ban. The anti-central bank currency bill had become a sticking point for conservative Republicans. While central banks in some nations have explored issuing their own digital currencies, the topic has been met with quick resistance in the United States from conservative Republicans, who argue it could allow the government to monitor Americans' spending. The Fed has studied the issue, but Chairman Jerome Powell has said that the central bank would never pursue one absent explicit approval from Congress. House lawmakers have said they are aiming to vote on all three crypto measures later in the day. When asked if he expects the crypto bills to pass on Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters: "I do." (Reporting by Chris Prentice and David Morgan; Editing by Pete Schroeder and Mark Porter)
The Sun
30 minutes ago
- The Sun
Russia claims capture of Ukrainian villages in three front areas
MOSCOW: Russia announced on Thursday that its forces had taken control of Ukrainian villages in three separate regions, marking an expansion of its summer offensive despite international pressure to halt hostilities. Ukraine has not yet commented on these claims. The Russian defence ministry stated that its troops had 'liberated' the settlements of Popiv Yar in Donetsk, Degtiarne in Kharkiv, and Kamianske in Zaporizhzhia. Kamianske, located along the Dnipro River, had a pre-war population of around 2,000. Degtiarne, a small village near the Russian border, had not seen Russian advances since the early stages of the conflict. Popiv Yar lies south of Kramatorsk, a key Ukrainian city. Russian forces have intensified their offensive for three consecutive months, with June recording the largest territorial gains since November last year, according to AFP analysis of ISW data. US President Donald Trump recently warned Moscow of potential sanctions if no peace deal is reached within 50 days. However, Ukraine maintains that Russia has no intention of ending the conflict and will continue its military operations. - AFP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Thailand to offer Trump no duties on 90% of goods, adviser says
BANGKOK: Thailand is set to offer scrapping tariffs on 90% of US goods, up from a previous plan for over 60%, in a bid to avert a punishing levy threatened by President Donald Trump, according to a business group advising Thai negotiators. Bangkok's third proposal would potentially eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on about 10,000 US products, Chanintr Chalisarapong, vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, told Bloomberg News in an interview Thursday. He added that he expects the final tariff on Thailand will be set in a range of 18% to 20% - down from Trump's most recent threatened level of 36%. The new proposal, which will be presented to Washington in a conference call Thursday, could reduce Thailand's $46 billion trade surplus with the US by 70% within three years and lead to balanced trade within five years, according to Chanintr. The new figures are even more ambitious than Thailand's July 6 offer to cut tariffs on over 60% of products and eliminate the trade gap in seven or eight years. "I expect our proposal to be solid and practical. The numbers should be satisfactory to the US,' said Chanintr, who's consulted with negotiators led by Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira over the past week to finalize details. "What we'll be offering is potentially more than Indonesia and Vietnam,' he said. "Since we're a manufacturing country, we have potential to use a lot more US goods and process them into products that we can export.' Thailand is one of the Southeast Asian countries racing to finalise terms with the US. Failure to secure a reduced tariff with its largest export market, which accounted for about 18% of Thailand's total shipments last year, could result in a sharp decline in merchandise shipments and shave as much as one percentage point off its projected export-driven economic growth. Trump has announced deals for 20% tariffs on Vietnamese goods and 19% for Indonesia, though transshipments through both countries would face higher levies. Bangkok rushed to sweeten its proposal after Trump announced last week that the 36% tariff level on Thailand would start Aug 1. Pichai, who had submitted a second proposal by then, said he was shocked and had been expecting a lower number. Thailand's new proposal may include a tax exemption for US digital services that operate in Thailand or serve Thai customers, Chanintr said. It may also pledge more imports of liquefied natural gas, Boeing Co. planes, and key US food and agricultural products. The latter could include corn, soybeans and barley, which are important to Trump voters in rural states, he added. Cheap US food and farm products are expected to help cut costs for the Thai pet food industry, which exports heavily to other countries. Lower costs for Thailand's animal feed industry will also likely boost productivity for the domestic poultry, livestock, and food-processing industries down the value chain, Chanintr said. Pichai, who has said he was pushing for a best-case rate of 10%, is expected to hold more talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. In their meeting in Washington earlier this month, Pichai agreed to cut import taxes for US products that are in short supply in Thailand and tighten rules to prevent transshipments. "We'd like for talks to conclude soon so that trade can continue. There's been too much uncertainty,' Chanintr said, adding he is confident Thailand can secure a deal before Aug 1. "We're so close to the finish line.' Thai growth is already under pressure from Southeast Asia's highest household debt and sluggish domestic consumption. A favourable deal would also ease investor concerns stoked by political turmoil following the court-ordered suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over alleged ethical misconduct in handling a border dispute with Cambodia. Thailand's exports rose about 15% in the first five months of the year, driven largely by frontloading during the 90-day pause to allow tariff talks. "This is a global trade war, not a bilateral one,' Chanintr said. "Don't forget how high the stakes are.' - Bloomberg
