Donald Trump wants to change Coca-Cola’s traditional recipe, and the statement is already generating controversy in the United States. The American president claimed this week that Coca-Cola had allegedly agreed to replace corn syrup with cane sugar in its drinks sold in the North American market. The announcement was made on social media as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, led by Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I have been talking to Coca-Cola about using real cane sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” the politician wrote. “I would like to thank all those in positions of authority at Coca-Cola,” he added.
Despite Trump’s statement, Coca-Cola has not officially confirmed the formula change. In a statement, the company simply said it “appreciates President Trump’s enthusiasm” and that it will release “more details about new, innovative offerings” soon.
Currently, Coca-Cola sold in the United States is sweetened with corn syrup, a cheaper and more common ingredient in the American food industry. In countries like Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, Coca-Cola uses cane or beet sugar.
Donald Trump’s proposal directly impacts the corn industry, one of the strongest in the American Midwest. The sector reacted negatively: “Replacing high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American jobs, reduce farm income, and increase imports of foreign sugar, all without any nutritional benefit,” said John Bode, president of the Corn Refiners Association.
Health experts are also skeptical. Nutritionists emphasize that the problem isn’t the type of sugar, but the amount consumed. “The impact on public health would be virtually zero,” they assess.
Robert Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s partner in the proposal, maintains that corn syrup, along with seed oils and artificial colors, is one of the biggest culprits of childhood obesity in the United States. He argues that national dietary guidelines should be revised.
Donald Trump’s attempt to change Coca-Cola’s traditional recipe also reignites a long-standing political and economic dispute. While the sugar industry is strong in the South, especially in Florida—Donald Trump’s electoral stronghold—corn is crucial to the economy of states in the Midwest.
The potential change would be the biggest at Coca-Cola since the controversial “New Coke” launch in 1985. Interestingly, despite his rhetoric against artificial sweeteners, Donald Trump is known for regularly drinking Diet Coke, which is sweetened with aspartame.
