1. Trump’s announcement
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On July 16–17, 2025, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social saying he had “been speaking to Coca‑Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States,” and that the company “agreed to do so. … It’s just better!” The Wall Street Journal+13The Sun+13The Sun+13.
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Multiple media outlets picked this up, with Trump claiming credit for persuading Coca‑Cola to switch from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) back to cane sugar. The Sun
2. Coca‑Cola’s response
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The company has not officially confirmed a switch to cane sugar in its standard U.S. recipe. They acknowledged Trump’s enthusiasm and mentioned “new innovative offerings” coming soon, but did not confirm a recipe change The Daily Beast+4The Sun+4The Independent+4.
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A follow-up statement defended HFCS, noting it’s “safe,” has similar calories to cane sugar, and that the American Medical Association sees no evidence that HFCS is worse than table sugar Food & Wine+2The Guardian+2The Wall Street Journal+2.
3. Why HFCS remains in the U.S.
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Since the early 1980s, Coca‑Cola in America has been sweetened with HFCS, chosen for its lower cost and domestic availability. Most other countries, like Mexico, Canada, the UK, Australia, use cane sugar. AllrecipesWikipediaWikipedia
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Cane sugar versions—like Mexican Coke or Kosher-for-Passover Coke—are still imported and available in limited contexts in the U.S. Wikipedia+5Food & Wine+5Allrecipes+5.
4. Economic & agricultural concerns
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The Corn Refiners Association warned that reversing the switch could lead to thousands of job losses in U.S. food manufacturing, reduce farmer income, and result in more sugar imports, with no health benefit Wikipedia+15The Sun+15The Sun+15.
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The U.S. produces only about 4 million of the ~12.5 million tons of sugar consumed domestically, so sourcing enough cane sugar would rely heavily on imports (from Brazil, Mexico), which face tariffs The Wall Street Journal.
5. Health implications: sugar vs. HFCS
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Nutrition experts have stated that both cane sugar and HFCS are essentially similar in metabolic impact. Both are ~50% fructose, ~50% glucose, and excessive intake of either contributes to obesity, fatty liver, and metabolic disease The Guardian+2ABC News+2The Independent+2.
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ABC News quotes experts saying:
“Our bodies aren’t going to know if that’s cane sugar or high‑fructose corn syrup… consuming that kind of fuel in the wrong context can definitely have some detrimental health effects.” ABC News+1The Independent+1
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While HFCS is marginally more processed and has slightly more fructose, dietary experts say switching to cane sugar may slow absorption a bit, but the health outcomes remain the same unless overall sugar intake decreases ABC NewsThe Independent.
6. Corporate context and precedent
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Coca‑Cola has tweaked recipes before. In 1985 it launched the infamous “New Coke,” which was met with such backlash they reintroduced the original within months Reddit+6Wikipedia+6Wikipedia+6.
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In 2021, Coke Zero Sugar got a subtle flavor tweak (matching its European version) though ingredient listings stayed the same Reddit+4Wikipedia+4Allrecipes+4.
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Those episodes show Coca‑Cola is cautious to alter its iconic recipe—and even small changes risk consumer backlash.
7. What we still don’t know
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Is there a real recipe change planned?
No public confirmation yet—Coca‑Cola has only acknowledged enthusiasm and hinted at product innovation, not that HFCS is going away. -
Is it part of a pattern?
It aligns with public health shifts led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign against processed sugars and artificial ingredients -
If changes happen, when and where?
No timeline. If introduced, reformulating at scale would take months—maybe years—and likely roll out in select products or limited markets first.
Bottom line
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Trump claimed Coke will switch to cane sugar in the U.S.
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Coca‑Cola has not confirmed any actual recipe change.
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Economically, it’s a gamble—potential job losses, need for sugar imports.
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Health-wise, cane sugar isn’t significantly healthier than HFCS.
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Coca‑Cola has historically been cautious changing its flagship recipe.
In short: this feels more like political theatre than a confirmed corporate decision—rumors abound, but no official formula change has been announced. If it happens, expect a gradual rollout in select products rather than an overnight flip.