Trump Says Coke Is Bringing Sugar Back to Its Soda — But Is It True?

President Donald Trump used his Truth Social account on Wednesday afternoon to announce that he’s sweet-talked Coca-Cola into making a major ingredient change. 

“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,” the President wrote. “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!” 

But don’t get too excited just yet. 

“We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand,” Coca-Cola shared in a statement posted to its website. “More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.”

Currently, Coca-Cola uses corn syrup as its sweetener in both its original and flavored options, as well as aspartame and other synthetic sweeteners in its Diet Coke and Coke Zero range. However, if Coke did choose to move to using cane sugar in its U.S. products, it wouldn’t be unfounded.

As Time reported, the cult-favorite Mexican Coke has long used real sugar in its formulation, as have the brand’s Kosher-for-Passover Coke and a “local tastes” line. Other globally distributed versions also use varying amounts of cane sugar and artificial sweeteners. 

While many Mexican Coke fans claim there’s a taste difference, the change could have broader implications than just affecting your taste buds. 

“Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense,” John Bode, the president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association, wrote in a statement. “President Trump stands for American manufacturing jobs, American farmers, and reducing the trade deficit. Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit.”

Trump’s social media promise has already led to a nearly 6% drop in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland, a high fructose syrup producer, according to CNBC. 

But as Food Navigator reported, the shift to sugar may not cost the U.S. as much as you think, as long as farmers are willing to make the switch. 

“The United States is among the world’s largest sugar producers. Unlike most other producing countries, the United States has both large and well-developed sugarcane and sugarbeet industries,” the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) explained. “Since the mid-2000s, sugarcane has accounted for between 40 and 45% of the total sugar produced domestically, and sugarbeets accounted for between 55 and 60% of production.” Though it noted that “The number of farms growing sugarcane and sugarbeets has continuously declined over the past two decades, while the average area harvested per farm increased.” 

Most sugarcane is produced in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, according to the USDA. The move toward sugar could align with Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s plans to “Make America Healthy Again.” The Secretary of Health and Human Services has previously called high-fructose corn syrup “just a formula for making you obese and diabetic.” However, in April, he also called sugar “poison,” adding, “I don’t think that we’re going to be able to eliminate sugar, but I think what we need to do, probably, is give Americans knowledge about how much sugar is in their products, and also, with the new nutrition guidelines, we’ll give them a very clear idea about how much sugar they should be using, which is zero.”

As for Trump, he will likely have very little to worry about, as his well-known drink of choice is Diet Coke anyway.