Latest news with #corn syrup
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Coca-Cola defends corn syrup after Trump claims he struck cane sugar deal
The Coca-Cola company has defended its use of corn syrup after Donald Trump's claim Wednesday that he had apparently convinced the brand to switch to using sugar cane in its US drinks, as it does in Mexico and the UK. '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,' Trump said in a social media post late Tuesday. 'This will be a very good move by them – You'll see. It's just better!' 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. On Thursday, however, the soft drinks company released an additional statement making positive claims about high-fructose corn syrup, a product that some blame for soaring US obesity rates and which has become a target of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's 'Make America healthy again' movement. 'The name sounds complex, but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – which we use to sweeten some of our beverages – is actually just a sweetener made from corn,' Coca-Cola said in a statement. '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 'has confirmed that HFCS is no more likely to contribute to obesity than table sugar or other full-calorie sweeteners', and 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'. Trump's rather abrupt entry into the Coca-Cola sugar debate comes as he struggles to move past a growing controversy over the release of files relating to the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a one-time friend of Trump's. The president's high consumption of Diet Coke is well-documented, including the installation of a red 'Diet Coke button' near his desk that he can press in order to summon a staff member with the drink. Diet Coke contains neither corn syrup nor sugar cane, but aspartame, a low-calorie artificial sweetener. A switch by Coca-Cola to using sugar cane could trade implications for the $285bn US soft drinks market. Coca-Cola in Mexico is made with cane sugar and packaged in glass bottles. Some is imported into the US, where it sells unofficially as 'Mexican Coke' at a premium over its domestic counterpart. In the 1980s Coca-Cola's US arm changed its formulation to use high-fructose corn syrup, supported by US farming subsidies, and not imported sugar cane subjected to import tariffs. But turning back the clock could prove costly if Trump's high US tariffs on nations that produce sugar cane continue to apply. Trump had previously clashed with the company over voting access in Georgia, where the company is based. But ahead of his second inauguration as president in January of this year, the company's CEO, James Quincey, presented Trump with an inaugural Diet Coke bottle.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Coke's shift to cane sugar would be expensive, hurt US farmers
By Marcelo Teixeira and Karl Plume NEW YORK (Reuters) -A possible move by Coca-Cola , and other beverage and food industries, to use cane sugar instead of corn syrup as a sweetener would be difficult and expensive to implement, while mostly negative for farmers in the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Coca-Cola had agreed to use cane sugar in its beverages in the country after his discussions with the maker of the top soda pop brand. Backed by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) social movement, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been pushing for changes in ingredients used by the food and beverage industry, claiming the proposed substitutes are healthier. The company already sells Coke made from cane sugar in other markets, including Mexico, and some U.S. grocery stores carry glass bottles with cane sugar labeled "Mexican" Coke. In response to Trump's comment, Coca-Cola said "more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.' PepsiCo also said on Thursday it would use sugar in its products like Pepsi beverages if consumers want it. Industry analysts, however, said changes in the formulation of the rest of the Coke sold in the U.S., and other beverages and candies, would involve significant adjustments to companies' supply chains, since corn syrup and sugar come from different producers. It would also involve changes to product labeling, and cost more. "Food and beverage industries started to use corn syrup in the U.S. in the past because of costs. It is cheaper than sugar," said Ron Sterk, a senior editor at SOSland Publishing, an information provider for the ingredients industry in the U.S. He said the beverage industry uses 55% High Fructose Corn Syrup, or 55HFCS, while bakers use 42% HFCS. The Corn Refiners Association said the complete elimination of high fructose corn syrup from the U.S. food and beverage supply would cut corn prices by up to 34 cents a bushel, resulting in a loss of $5.1 billion in farm revenue. "The resulting economic shockwave would lead to rural job losses and significant economic consequences to communities across the country," CRA said. Agricultural processors such as Archer-Daniels-Midland and Ingredion, two of the largest HFCS producers, grind corn at mills dotted around the Midwest farm belt to produce corn sweetener and other goods like ethanol biofuel. Shares of both companies fell on Thursday. ADM is estimated to ship 4 billion to 4.5 billion pounds of high fructose corn syrup every year, accounting for roughly 6% to 7% of projected 2026 earnings, said analyst Heather Jones of Heather Jones Research. "If Coke were to shift the entirety of its HF55 usage to cane, the cost increase would very likely exceed $1 billion given the current price gap between HF55 and cane sugar and the probability of very large price increases for the latter," Jones said in a research note. To produce one pound of HFCS, the industry uses around 2.5 pounds of corn, so a large shift in corn syrup use in the U.S. would hurt demand for the cereal, hurting corn growers, while probably boosting imports of cane sugar since there is not enough produced in the U.S. to satisfy American consumers' sweet tooth. SUGAR DEFICIT Around 400 million bushels of corn is used annually to make corn syrup for drinks and other food products, representing around 2.5% of U.S. corn production, according to U.S. government data. The U.S. produces around 3.6 million metric tons of cane sugar per year, half of that in Trump's home state of Florida, compared with around 7.3 million tons of corn syrup. Trump's ongoing trade wars, however, would make it difficult to cover the deficit, sugar analyst Michael McDougall said. "It will most likely come from Brazil," he said, referring to the world's top cane sugar producer, "but Trump just hit Brazil with a 50% import tariff." Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Coke's shift to cane sugar would be expensive, hurt US farmers
By Marcelo Teixeira and Karl Plume NEW YORK (Reuters) -A possible move by Coca-Cola , and other beverage and food industries, to use cane sugar instead of corn syrup as a sweetener would be difficult and expensive to implement, while mostly negative for farmers in the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Coca-Cola had agreed to use cane sugar in its beverages in the country after his discussions with the maker of the top soda pop brand. Backed by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) social movement, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been pushing for changes in ingredients used by the food and beverage industry, claiming the proposed substitutes are healthier. The company already sells Coke made from cane sugar in other markets, including Mexico, and some U.S. grocery stores carry glass bottles with cane sugar labeled "Mexican" Coke. In response to Trump's comment, Coca-Cola said "more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.' PepsiCo also said on Thursday it would use sugar in its products like Pepsi beverages if consumers want it. Industry analysts, however, said changes in the formulation of the rest of the Coke sold in the U.S., and other beverages and candies, would involve significant adjustments to companies' supply chains, since corn syrup and sugar come from different producers. It would also involve changes to product labeling, and cost more. "Food and beverage industries started to use corn syrup in the U.S. in the past because of costs. It is cheaper than sugar," said Ron Sterk, a senior editor at SOSland Publishing, an information provider for the ingredients industry in the U.S. He said the beverage industry uses 55% High Fructose Corn Syrup, or 55HFCS, while bakers use 42% HFCS. The Corn Refiners Association said the complete elimination of high fructose corn syrup from the U.S. food and beverage supply would cut corn prices by up to 34 cents a bushel, resulting in a loss of $5.1 billion in farm revenue. "The resulting economic shockwave would lead to rural job losses and significant economic consequences to communities across the country," CRA said. Agricultural processors such as Archer-Daniels-Midland and Ingredion, two of the largest HFCS producers, grind corn at mills dotted around the Midwest farm belt to produce corn sweetener and other goods like ethanol biofuel. Shares of both companies fell on Thursday. ADM is estimated to ship 4 billion to 4.5 billion pounds of high fructose corn syrup every year, accounting for roughly 6% to 7% of projected 2026 earnings, said analyst Heather Jones of Heather Jones Research. "If Coke were to shift the entirety of its HF55 usage to cane, the cost increase would very likely exceed $1 billion given the current price gap between HF55 and cane sugar and the probability of very large price increases for the latter," Jones said in a research note. To produce one pound of HFCS, the industry uses around 2.5 pounds of corn, so a large shift in corn syrup use in the U.S. would hurt demand for the cereal, hurting corn growers, while probably boosting imports of cane sugar since there is not enough produced in the U.S. to satisfy American consumers' sweet tooth. SUGAR DEFICIT Around 400 million bushels of corn is used annually to make corn syrup for drinks and other food products, representing around 2.5% of U.S. corn production, according to U.S. government data. The U.S. produces around 3.6 million metric tons of cane sugar per year, half of that in Trump's home state of Florida, compared with around 7.3 million tons of corn syrup. Trump's ongoing trade wars, however, would make it difficult to cover the deficit, sugar analyst Michael McDougall said. "It will most likely come from Brazil," he said, referring to the world's top cane sugar producer, "but Trump just hit Brazil with a 50% import tariff."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Trump say Coca-Cola go change key ingredient inside drink for US
United States President Donald Trump say Coca-Cola don agree to use real cane sugar for drinks wey dem dey sell for US. Coca-Cola dey use corn syrup for im American products, but Trump Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr don show concern about how dis ingredient dey affect pipo health. "I don dey speak to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar for Coke for United States, and dem don agree to do so," Trump write on social media. "I go like to thank all di pipo wey dey for authority for Coca-Cola." Without direct confirmation of di change for di recipe, one Coca-Cola tok tok pesin say dem "appreciate President Trump enthusiasm" and say " we go soon share more details on new innovative offerings inside our Coca-Cola product range". Although di sweetener inside Coke wey dem dey sell for US na corn syrup, for many oda kontris Coca Cola dey make dis product sweet in different ways. Mexico for example, dem dey use cane sugar. Coca-Cola sweetener for Nigeria While for Nigeria, Coca-Cola bin dey use aspartame and acesulfame-K for products like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. E dey use Sucralose for odas and im drinks bin be 50-50 of sugar inside drinks. But right now, e no too clear weda na di old sweetener, abi na di new one wey bin collect approval from NAFDAC dem dey use. According to one report from one investigate of Nigeria Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), for October 2019 di company conclude one process of reducing or eliminating di sugar inside dia drinks. But FCCPC for dia website say dem continue to produce and market di old togeda wit di new formular "without alerting consumers." Di consumer protection agency add say, for 2019, di company switch back to di 50-50 sugar old formular for drinks like Limca afta NAFDAC give am approval for di new one. Trump happy wella wit dis development for US wen im post on Wednesday for Truth Social: "Dis go be very good move by dem – You go see. E just get beta!" For April, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey tell investors say "we continue to make progress on sugar reduction for our drinks". Im say dia company for Atlanta don "do dis by changing recipes as well as by using our global marketing resources and distribution network to boost awareness of and interest in our ever-expanding portfolio". But any decision to use cane sugar instead fit leave bitter taste for di mouth of American corn farmers. Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode tok for one statement: "Replacing high fructose corn syrup wit cane sugar go cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all wit no nutritional benefit." Di US health secretary and im Make America Healthy Again movement dey campaign make companies remove ingredients like corn syrup, seed oils and artificial dyes from dia products, im say dem dey cause plenty health problems. Kennedy also dey critical of di amount of sugar wey Americans dey consume and tori be say im dey plan to update guidelines for diet for di whole kontri dis summer. Trump na regular drinker of Diet Coke – wey dey use artificial sweetener aspartame. Im even get one special button wey im install for di Oval Office Resolute desk so dem go fit to serve am di drink.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump says he made a deal with Coca-Cola. It'd turn all Coke into Mexican Coke.
President Donald Trump said that Coca-Cola agreed to swap corn syrup for real cane sugar in Coke. Coca-Cola has not commented on or confirmed the president's statement. If the swap is made, US-based Coca-Cola drinks would taste more like Mexican Coke products. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said a "better" version of Coca-Cola products was on its way. In a Truth Social post, the president said he'd been working on a deal with the beverage company to use real cane sugar in Coke products in the United States, "and they have agreed to do so." "I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola," Trump wrote in his post. "This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!" The Coca‑Cola Company acknowledged in a statement that changes were coming but did not provide additional details. "We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca‑Cola brand," the statement said. "More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca‑Cola product range will be shared soon." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Coca-Cola already sells a cane sugar version of its soda in the US, marketed as Coca‑Cola Mexico or, colloquially, Mexican Coke, since many of its sodas sold in Mexico are made with cane sugar. However, most of its products sold in the United States are sweetened with corn syrup, in part because the government heavily subsidizes corn, which makes corn syrup a cheaper option than cane sugar. Coca-Cola's stock didn't respond to Trump's announcement in after-hours trading. Shares for the soda company were at $69.27 at market close. Famously, Trump's drink of choice is Diet Coke, which is made with the artificial sweetener aspartame. The president has frequently been photographed drinking Diet Coke, with The New York Times reporting in 2017 that he drinks a dozen a day. The Trump administration, through its Make America Health Again initiative spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has urged companies to remove ingredients such as dyes and preservatives from their formulas. Some companies, like PepsiCo, Nestlé, and General Mills, have announced they will remove artificial ingredients and colorings from popular food items by the end of the year. Read the original article on Business Insider
