Trump announces Coca-Cola will bring back real sugar

 July 17, 2025

Coca-Cola will start putting real sugar in its iconic drink again under a new deal announced by President Trump.

Trump said the soft drink giant has agreed to use cane sugar, replacing the high-fructose corn syrup that has been used as a sweetener since the 1980s.

"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.

"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!"

Original Coke is back?

High-fructose corn syrup is widely used in processed foods that Americans eat, including soft drinks, snacks, and fast food. It is the second ingredient in Coke, after carbonated water.

Health and wellness enthusiasts, including Trump's Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have criticized the high amount of high-fructose corn syrup and sugar in Americans' diet.

Medical research has found that the negative health effects of table sugar and corn syrup are substantially similar when either is consumed in excess.

While the health benefits of switching sweeteners may be insignificant, some prefer the taste of original Coke. Trump is famously fond of Diet Coke, which uses the artificial sweetener aspartame.

"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," Coca-Cola said.

Economic impacts

Changing sweeteners could have impacts on the economy. Corn syrup is cheaper than sugarcane because of corn subsidies in the United States, which produces more corn than any country in the world. For sugar, the U.S. relies on imports to supplement domestic production in states like Florida, where the industry is known as "Big Sugar."

Trump's Coke announcement was not well-received by the corn industry.

"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," Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode said.

The Coke in some countries, including Mexico, still uses cane sugar. Customers in the U.S. can buy "Mexican Coke," which comes in the classic glass bottle.

The CEO of Coke, James Quincey, previously said in April that "we continue to make progress on sugar reduction in our beverages."

He explained the company had changed recipes and shifted marketing strategies to "boost awareness" of other Coke products.

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