Trump Says Coca-Cola Has Agreed to Change US Recipe

President Trump says he has persuaded Coca-Cola to Make Coke Sugary Again. "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. I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola," he said in a Truth Social post Wednesday. "This will be a very good move by them—You'll see. It's just better!" The BBC reports that the company didn't confirm the change, but a spokesperson said they "appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm" and "more details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon."

Coca-Cola uses cane sugar in countries including Mexico, so the change would "turn all Coke into Mexican Coke," Business Insider reports. For the US market, the company switched to corn syrup more than 40 years ago. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed concerns about ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, though he has also criticized the amount of sugar in American diets, reports Reuters. The BBC notes that Trump prefers Diet Coke, which uses the artificial sweetener aspartame.

The corn industry isn't thrilled about the possible change, the AP reports. "Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn't make sense," Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode said in a statement. "President Trump stands for American manufacturing jobs, American farmers, and reducing the trade deficit. 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."