Coca-Cola made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup is now for sale at retailers in some cities across the U.S. after a push by President Donald Trump.
Single-serve, 12-ounce glass bottles of Coke made with cane sugar are launching in select markets this fall, a spokesperson for the company told multiple news outlets. Coca-Cola Chief Financial Officer John Murphy told Bloomberg News the launch will be a measured roll-out because "There is only a certain amount of cane sugar available in the United States."
Cane sugar is already used in some international versions of Coke, including Coke sold in Mexico. While Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and "Make America Healthy Again" supporters have spoken out against high fructose corn syrup consumption, there is little to no nutritional difference between the syrup and cane sugar.
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“It’s great to hear iconic American companies talking about using real sugar, which is proudly produced by American sugar beet and sugarcane farmers and workers,” said Rob Johansson, director of economics and policy analysis at the American Sugar Alliance. However, industry sources say that domestic sugar supplies can’t meet existing demand, so imported sugar could be needed to transition from using HFCS as a sweetener.
The Corn Refiners Association, which represents manufacturers of sweeteners and products derived from corn components, said in July that the switch “doesn’t make sense.”
“Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit,” the group said. A CRA report estimates that eliminating high-fructose corn syrup would lower corn prices by up to 34 cents per bushel and reduce farm revenue by $5.1 billion, causing rural job losses and economic consequences across the country.
