Trump claims Coca-Cola will use real cane sugar in U.S. formula

U.S. President Donald Trump says Coca-Cola has agreed to use real cane sugar in the U.S., though the company has not confirmed the claim.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Coca-Cola has agreed to use real cane sugar in its American formula following his suggestion. Writing on his social media site, Trump stated that the company had agreed and called the move "just better." However, Coca-Cola has not officially confirmed any change.

“We appreciate the enthusiasm,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the company would share details about new offerings soon. The firm has imported glass bottles of Mexican Coke made with cane sugar to the U.S. since 2005, but most of its domestic production uses high-fructose corn syrup.

Trump’s announcement comes as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar continues to grow in popularity. Sales of the zero-sugar variant rose 14 percent globally in the first quarter of 2025, compared to a 2 percent increase in overall Coca-Cola case volume. Coke Zero Sugar was the seventh best-selling soft drink by volume in the U.S. last year, with a 4 percent market share, compared to Coca-Cola's total share of 19 percent.

Beverage Digest editor Duane Stanford said zero-sugar drinks are driving significant growth. Rival PepsiCo reported that 60 percent of its second-quarter volume in major markets came from low- or no-sugar products.

Still, any change to Coca-Cola's sweeteners would not affect Trump’s preferred drink, Diet Coke, which uses aspartame.

The Corn Refiners Association criticized Trump’s push to switch sweeteners. President John Bode said replacing corn syrup with cane sugar would hurt American jobs and farm income while increasing sugar imports without offering nutritional benefits.

Copied