COCA-COLA OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES CANE SUGAR COKE AFTER TRUMP TEASED NEW FORMULA BUT IT WON'T REPLACE THE ORIGINAL

PEOPLE

 

Coca-Cola Officially Announces Cane Sugar Coke After Trump Teased New Formula, but It Won't Replace the Original

The company announced plans to "expand their product range" after President Trump promised a change to the beloved cola brand

By Meredith Kile  Published on July 22, 2025 11:23AM EDT

 

A few days after President Donald Trump claimed that Coca-Cola had agreed to his demand to use real cane sugar in their soft drinks, the company announced that, yes, they will be adding a cane sugar Coke to their product line. But it will not replace the original.

 

In its second quarter earnings report on Tuesday, July 22, the company confirmed that it will be expanding its beverage line, writing, "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."

 

"This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences," they added.

 

A Coca-Cola spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE that the new cane sugar soft drink will not be replacing its classic Coke.

 

The announcement came days after Trump took to his Truth Social account to claim, "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. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!"

 

The company initially responded by saying they "appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm" but did not confirm details about "new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range" in a statement to PEOPLE.

 

In certain parts of the United States, Coca-Cola made with cane sugar and packaged in glass bottles is already available, thanks to imports from Mexico, leading to the product being nicknamed "Mexican Coke."

 

Coca-Cola originally used cane sugar as its sweetener of choice in all products, however, the beverage company began using high-fructose corn syrup in its drinks in the U.S. by 1984, due to rising sugar prices, according to Fortune.

 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also been a proponent of eliminating controversial ingredients in food products through his "Make America Healthy Again" initiative and has vowed to ban high-fructose corn syrup and seed oils.

 

For his part, Trump has a well-documented love of Diet Coke, which is sweetened with aspartame, a sugar alternative.

 

While Trump's plans to reformulate Coca-Cola may be popular with some, he did receive backlash from the U.S. corn lobby, who are instrumental in producing the high-fructose corn syrup that sweetens many U.S. products.

 

John Bode, president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association, released a statement about Trump's initial plan to reformulate Coke on July 16, saying, “Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense. 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," the statement continued.