Coca-Cola to launch cane sugar soda in fall after Trump demand

Coca-Cola said for sure that it will make a new Coke with cane sugar.  The announcement follows a social media post from President Donald Trump last week in which he claimed he persuaded the company to replace high-fructose corn syrup.

The announcement comes days after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had "been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so."

At first, Coca-Cola did not confirm the report. The business said last week that it liked Trump's "enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand," but that "details...will be shared soon."

In its results report on Tuesday morning, the business claimed that a version of the drink containing cane sugar will be arriving later this year.

"As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range," its news release said.

James Quincey, the CEO, told investors on a call that he expects the drink "will be an enduring option for consumers." He also claimed that Coca-Cola utilizes cane sugar in many of its other US drinks, such as lemonade and coffee.

 High-fructose corn syrup is a component in American-made Coca-Cola that Trump's Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has strongly spoken out against.

Kennedy, who has led the charge to remove many artificial and highly processed ingredients from American foods, has called high-fructose corn syrup a “formula for making you obese and diabetic” in a September episode of Dr. Jordan Peterson’s podcast. Coca-Cola switched to corn syrup a long time ago since it is a common and cheap sweetener. Health experts advise that soda with a lot of sugar in it, whether it is prepared with cane sugar or corn syrup, is not good for you.

U.S. cane sugar is primarily produced in Texas, Florida and Louisiana, according to the Agriculture Department. However, domestic production accounts for only 30% of total U.S. sugar supply. Sugar beets or imports make up the remainder.