Latest news with #Robert F Kennedy Jr
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Coca-Cola to launch Coke with cane sugar in the US after Trump post
Coca-Cola has laid out plans to launch a product made with US cane sugar this year, days after Donald Trump claimed the company had agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup. The company announced the change in a quarterly earnings report released on Tuesday. On a conference call with investors, Coca-Cola's chairperson and CEO, James Quincey, said the company planned 'to expand our trademark … product range with US cane sugar to reflect consumer interest in differentiated experiences'. Quincey said the new offering would 'complement' Coca-Cola's core portfolio of drinks, suggesting it could arrive as an alternative, rather than a replacement, for its flagship Coke product. 'This is really an 'and' strategy and not an 'or' strategy,' Quincey said, according to the Wall Street Journal. 'We are going to continue to use a lot of the corn syrup that we do now.' The drink maker's Mexican Coke is made with cane sugar and already sold in the US – but often at nearly twice the price. Additionally, the US doesn't make enough cane sugar to satisfy demand in the country. Tuesday's announcement from Coca-Cola came as food and drink companies have rolled out plans to make changes amid 'Make America healthy again' (Maha) campaign of the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. However, experts say that drinks made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup are not necessarily healthier. Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, previously told CNN: 'Excess consumption of sugar from any source harms health. To make the US food supply healthier, the Trump administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar.' Coca-Cola had defended its use of corn syrup – a product some blame for soaring US obesity rates – after Trump claimed on 16 July he had convinced the brand to switch to using sugar cane in its US drinks. '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,' the president said in a social media post. 'This will be a very good move by them – You'll see. It's just better!' Coca-Cola said in a statement that '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.' It added that the American Medical Association (AMA) 'has confirmed that HFCS is no more likely to contribute to obesity than table sugar or other full-calorie sweeteners'. And it said: 'Please be assured that Coca-Cola brand soft drinks do not contain any harmful substances.' In 2023, the AMA released a statement saying it recognized 'that at the present time, insufficient evidence exists to specifically restrict use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or other fructose-containing sweeteners in the food supply or to require the use of warning labels on products containing HFCS'. Initially, the drinks giant responded with a neutral statement of appreciation for 'president Trump's enthusiasm' for Coke, and a vague message about 'new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range' to come. The soft drinks company released an additional statement making positive claims about high-fructose corn syrup. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed
France 24
2 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Coca-Cola plans US cane sugar alternative after Trump push
"We're going to be bringing a Coke sweetened with US cane sugar into the market this fall, and I think that will be an enduring option for consumers," said CEO James Quincey on a call with analysts. The company currently uses high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for many of its US products -- a sweetener that has long drawn criticism from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda. Trump last week said that the company had agreed to use cane sugar in the United States version of Coke. "This will be a very good move by them -- You'll see. It's just better!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. Coca-Cola at the time did not confirm the move even if it said it appreciated Trump's "enthusiasm" for its brand. In announcing the new option, Quincey insisted that the main Coke product would still be made with corn syrup, with the cane sugar version offered as an alternative. Mexican Coke -- which is made with cane sugar -- is often sold at a premium in US stores and prized for its more "natural" flavor. 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 reinstalled a special button in the Oval Office that summons a helping of the sugar-free carbonated drink. 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, but differ at the structural level. Those differences don't appear to significantly affect health outcomes, according to research. Trump's preferred Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame -- a compound classified as a "possible carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Coca-Cola to launch Coke with cane sugar after Trump claims credit
Coca-Cola has laid out plans to launch a product made with US cane sugar this year, days after Donald Trump claimed the company had agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup. The announcement came Tuesday in Coca-Cola's earnings report. It confirmed a 16 July post on Trump's Truth Social platform in which the president said Coca-Cola 'agreed' to use 'REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States'. 'This will be a very good move by them – You'll see,' Trump's post said. 'It's just better!' The drink maker's Mexican Coke is made with cane sugar and already sold in the US. Tuesday's announcement from Coca-Cola came as food and drink companies have rolled out plans to make changes amid US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's Make America healthy again (Maha) campaign. However, experts say that drinks made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup aren't healthier. Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, previously told CNN: 'Excess consumption of sugar from any source harms health. To make the US food supply healthier, the Trump administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar.' Coca-Cola chairperson and chief executive officer James Quincey said Tuesday's announcement was meant to 'reflect consumer interest in differentiated experiences'. 'We appreciate the president's enthusiasm for our Coca-Cola brand,' Quincey said in a conference call with investors. 'This addition is designed to complement our strong core portfolio and offer more choice across occasions and preferences.' The Associated Press and Reuters contributed
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Coca-Cola With Cane Sugar Is Coming To U.S. After Trump Push
Coca-Cola, one of the country's largest companies, has said it will launch a new version of its signature product sweetened with cane sugar rather than corn syrup, after President Donald Trump pushed for the change amid a war on artificial ingredients and dyes waged by his Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Bottles of Coca Cola are displayed on April 24, 2023 in San Anselmo, California. Getty Images Coca-Cola said in its earnings release on Tuesday morning it will launch a version of the drink with cane sugar—as is already used in its products in Mexico and some European countries—later this fall. Coke said the additional production 'is designed to complement the company's strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.' This is a developing story and will be updated. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here :
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
The Trump administration is making viruses great again
Do you enjoy getting sick from preventable diseases? Do you have a hankering to make once-declining viruses great again? If so, why not pop over to the US where the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and his anti-vaccine cronies are making a valiant effort to overturn decades of progress in modern medicine? Let's start with measles cases, which are at their highest rate in 33 years in the US. The blame for this doesn't rest entirely with the Trump administration, of course, but officials certainly don't seem too bothered by it all. RFK Jr has downplayed the number of deaths that have occurred from measles and complained about all the headlines they're generating. Like the rest of his peers in the Trump administration, RFK Jr seems to have absolutely no idea what he is doing, and appears to be just making things up as he goes along. Indeed, the health secretary memorably told Congress in mid-May that he doesn't really think people should be taking medical advice from him. He seems to have forgotten that statement the moment the words left his mouth, however. Not even a couple of weeks later Kennedy announced that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would stop recommending Covid-19 booster shots for healthy children and pregnant women. This was a highly unusual move, as the health secretary doesn't normally make unilateral changes to vaccine recommendations like this. While Kennedy seems to govern by vibes, actual medical experts, who rely on things like evidence and data, are deeply alarmed by the removal of the shots from officials' recommended immunization schedule. '[D]espite the change in recommendations from [health and human services], the science has not changed,' the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said in a statement. 'It is very clear that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families.' Kennedy's decision is now facing legal opposition. In the same week that the US reached its dark measles milestone, a number of leading medical associations sued the Trump administration. 'This administration is an existential threat to vaccination in America, and those in charge are only just getting started,' said the lead counsel for the plaintiffs in a statement. Restoring trust in public health agencies and vaccines, especially among pregnant women, will take far more than a lawsuit. Two new surveys, published as a research letter in Jama Network Open, have found that only 35% to 40% of US pregnant women and parents of young children say they intend to fully vaccinate their child. To reiterate: we are now at a place where a majority of pregnant women and parents don't plan to accept all recommended kids' vaccines. 'Given the high decisional uncertainty during pregnancy about vaccinating children after birth, there may be value in intervening during pregnancy to proactively support families with childhood vaccination decisions,' the researchers wrote. Unfortunately, under this administration, that's a lot easier said than done. The president is throwing a fit over backlash to his administration's sudden U-turn on the 'Epstein Files'. On Wednesday he accused his voters of being gullible 'weaklings' who had fallen for the 'Jeffrey Epstein Hoax' which, according to him, is a 'SCAM' cooked up by the 'Lunatic Left' to discredit him. (If it's all a hoax, why is Ghislaine Maxwell in prison, eh?) Then, on Thursday, Status News reported that Trump had called the editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal to try to block its story on Trump's relationship with the disgraced financier. No matter how many insults he flings around or threats he makes, Trump can't bury the bigger Epstein story. Instead people are more invested in finding out who Epstein's associates were than ever before and polls show most Americans believe the government is concealing information. Trump may want to look up the Barbra Streisand effect. The 25-year-old's father allegedly felt threatened because she helped support him financially. The poet and performance artist died of ovarian cancer. 'Whenever I leave this world, whether it's sixty years from now, I wouldn't want anyone to say I lost some battle,' Gibson once wrote. 'I'll be a winner that day.' Gibson was a winner this week, but the world has lost a force for good. Back in 2014, the Oscar-winning actor had surgery to remove 30 uterine fibroids– non-cancerous tumors that can cause severe pain and heavy menstrual bleeding. Black women are three times more likely to develop fibroids than white women. July is Fibroid Awareness Month and, on Tuesday, the actor helped introduce a US uterine health legislative package aimed at introducing better prevention and screening protocols and less invasive treatments. 'I hope to seek answers for the far too many women dealing with uterine fibroids,' Nyong'o said. 'We must reject the normalization of female pain.' 'We are deeply concerned about women's access to health care, especially maternal health care, in ICE detention,' the caucus wrote in a letter. They reference the case of a woman who delivered a stillborn baby after being detained in immigration custody and allegedly having medical care delayed. Sign up to The Week in Patriarchy Get Arwa Mahdawi's weekly recap of the most important stories on feminism and sexism and those fighting for equality after newsletter promotion The Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk writes about her 45 days in a south Louisiana processing facility. Someone needs to give that man contraceptive advice, but OK. In her new memoir, Southern says Tate strangled her in a hotel bed in 2018 and assaulted her. 'No one wants to be a victim, especially not when you come from my political background,' Southern wrote. 'I know exactly what's coming. I'll be crucified online. I'm not looking for sympathy, and I don't expect a victim trophy from any side. I'm publishing this simply because it's the truth and far too few people are telling the truth these days.' Tate, who has been accused of rape and bodily harm by multiple women, responded by accusing Southern of drumming up publicity for her memoir. Husam Masrouf, a poet from Gaza, has a surreal and haunting piece in Flaming Hydra about the lengths some starving Palestinian women are going to try to obtain nutritional supplements. You think the US is turning into a police state? I'm afraid things are not any better in the UK, where armed police may threaten to arrest you simply for peacefully holding a Palestinian flag. We live in an upside down world where accused war criminals like Benjamin Netanyahu are wined and dined by politicians, while protesting against the murder of more than 17,000 children is treated as some sort of crime. Turns out your canine companion may secretly be judging you for your reality TV habit. A new study has found that dogs engage meaningfully with the TV and have certain viewing preferences. I reckon my little chihuahua is a big fan of Game of Bones and RuPaw's Drag Race. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
