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US President Donald Trump says that Coca-Cola has agreed to replace high-fructose corn syrup with real cane sugar in its soda beverages sold in the country.

The announcement was made via a post on Trump's Truth Social platform, where he expressed gratitude to Coca-Cola's leadership for this decision, commenting: "This will be a very good move by them – You’ll see. It’s just better!"

Coca-Cola, which typically uses high-fructose corn syrup to sweeten its US products, already employs cane sugar in various international markets, including the popular Mexican Coke. A spokesperson for the Atlanta-based company confirmed the discussions with Trump and indicated that details about new product offerings would be shared soon.

This switch aligns with Trump's ongoing support for Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's efforts under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. The initiative aims to address chronic health issues in the US, such as obesity and heart disease, by moving away from certain food ingredients, including artificial dyes and high-fructose corn syrup.

A recent report from the MAHA Commission, which was convened by Trump to investigate the root causes of chronic diseases, highlighted concerns regarding the substantial consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and its potential link to childhood obesity and other health conditions.

However, the decision to switch sweeteners has sparked debate among experts. While medical professionals recommend limiting added sugars in diets, they have not identified significant nutritional differences between cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.

John Bode, President and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association, criticised the change, arguing that it could cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income and increase imports of foreign sugar without offering any nutritional benefits.

The political implications of this announcement are noteworthy, particularly given that Trump's home state of Florida is the leading producer of sugarcane in the US.

As Coca-Cola prepares to implement this change, stakeholders in the food and beverage industry will be closely monitoring consumer reactions and potential shifts in market dynamics.

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