US3 min(s) read
Published 13:39 05 May 2026 GMT
Soft drink giant Coca-Cola announced plans to introduce a new edition of its signature drink after the President backed its plans.
The company plans to introduce a new Coke sweetened with sugar cane, rather than the typical lower-cost alternative it has used for decades - corn syrup.
In many other parts of the world, sugar cane is used to sweeten Coca-Cola, which is why many Americans claim Coke tastes better in other countries.
The change is thought to have been provoked by Trump's Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr raising concerns about the corn syrup's health risks, although experts say there is no clear nutritional difference.
In the company’s quarterly update to investors in July last year, it promised to 'launch an offering made with US cane sugar' in autumn, but almost a year later, the product has still not made it to shelves.
At the time, Trump wrote on Truth Social supporting the new launch: "This will be a very good move by them - You'll see. It's just better!"
Coca-Cola said the new product would 'complement' its existing offerings.
The company’s CEO, James Quincey, said: "We are definitely looking to use the whole tool ... kit of available sweetening options to some extent where there are consumer preferences."
He also pointed out that the drinks giant already used cane sugar in several of their other brands in the US, including lemonade, coffee, and vitamin water.
Allegedly, the President is rather passionate about using real sugar cane, having previously raised the issue with Quincey, according to a recent book 2024: How Trump Retook the White House.
According to the book, he spoke to billionaire sugar farmer Jose Fanjul - a major political donor - on the phone to discuss the matter.
In his social media post at the time, Trump said: "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."
In response, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said they "appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm".
The planned product would not be the first Coke made without corn syrup on the shelves of US stores, as 'Mexican Coke', which is sold in glass bottles for a higher price and has a somewhat cult fanbase, lists traditional sugar as the sweetener.
