Coke Bends the Knee to Trump

President Donald Trump seems to have caught Coca-Cola off guard when he randomly announced last week that the company would be switching its signature soft drink brand from high-fructose corn syrup to cane sugar. The announcement seemed to surprise the folks at Coca-Cola, who wouldn’t confirm any details at the time and defended the use of high fructose corn syrup. But now it looks like the company is on board for some kind of new Coke product that uses cane sugar.

“As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range,” a spokesperson for Coca-Cola told Gizmodo via email. “This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.”

Coca-Cola already sells a cane sugar version of its flagship product in U.S. stores, commonly referred to as “Mexican Coke,” since it’s imported from our neighbor to the south. But Coke seems to be making a distinction that this new product will use American-grown cane sugar. Louisiana, Florida, and Texas are the primary states where sugarcane is grown in the U.S.

It’s not clear how widely available this new unnamed cane sugar Coke product will be, but it sounds like it will not be fully replacing the Coke that uses high fructose corn syrup anytime soon. President Trump previously made his surprise announcement about the company using cane sugar while heavily suggesting it would be a switch for every Coke sold in the U.S. market.

“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 Truth Social. “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!”

Switching to cane sugar isn’t something that makes soda any healthier for you, according to the FDA, but it is one big goal of the so-called Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, led by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Kennedy heir is oddly fixated on fast food and junk food, but not in the way that most doctors would recommend. The healthier alternative to soda is water or juice, not products filled to the brim with added sugars.

Coca-Cola defended its use of high fructose corn syrup before Tuesday’s announcement, tweeting last week that it contributes to obesity in the exact same way as sugarcane.

“The American Medical Association has confirmed that HFCS is no more likely to contribute to obesity than table sugar or other full-calorie sweeteners,” the company wrote on July 16. “Please be assured that Coca-Cola brand soft drinks do not contain any harmful substances. All Coca-Cola brand products are wholesome beverages manufactured in compliance with the federal law governing food safety and labeling, the laws of all the states, and the laws of over 200 countries throughout the world where they are sold.”

Pepsi also announced it would eliminate artificial colors and flavors from Lay’s and Tostitos by the end of the year, something seen as another big victory by the MAHA folks. But, again, the healthy alternative to potato chips is whole fruits and vegetables, not a tweak to the way those processed foods are colored.

Coca-Cola reported earnings Tuesday, and net revenues grew 1% to $12.5 billion. Earnings per share grew 58% to $0.88.