Donald Trump gets Coca-Cola to change its recipe and use real cane sugar instead of corn syrup

The soft drink giant has made a statement regarding US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the Coca-Cola Company will change its formula.

President Trump’s sugar high after announcing that Coca-Cola would soon include the real sweet stuff in its US-sold beverages could be about to hit a sour note after the company issued a noncommittal statement spruiking the safety of its current recipe.

“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,” Mr Trump, 79, revealed on Truth Social.

“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!”

Coca-Cola uses high fructose corn syrup in its US production, in contrast to cane sugar in countries like Australia, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The soda maker switched to high fructose corn syrup in the 1980s over concerns about cost and agricultural requirements, but many Coke fans still prefer the taste with real sugar.

Coca-Cola did not confirm the change, but issued a statement saying more details of its product range offerings would be shared soon.

“We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca Cola brand,” the company wrote.

President Donald Trump after signing the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act at the White House on Thursday. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP Photo

It followed up with another post defending HFCS sweeteners, saying they contained no harmful substances were no more likely to contribute to obesity than regular sugar other sweeteners.

“The name sounds complex, but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – which we use to sweeten some of our beverages – is actually just a sweetener made from corn,” the company said.

“It’s safe, it has about the same number of calories per serving as table sugar and is metabolised in a similar way by your body.”

President Trump’s post on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

The news of the switch comes after Mr Trump was gifted a personalised bottle of Diet Coke by the company’s top executive James Quincey in January of this year after winning his second term as US President.

Instead of bearing the traditional Diet Coke logo, the special bottle had a label showing an image of the White House with the words: “The Inauguration of the President of the United States.”

A beaming Mr Trump accepts the inaugural Presidential Commemorative Diet Coke bottle from James Quincey in January. Picture: X/Margo Martin

Coca-Cola chief James Quincey presented Mr Trump with the special bottle that bore a logo showing the White House. Picture: X/Margo Martin

It was a savvy gesture by the company coming just four years after the soft drink giant criticised the Capitol Hill rioting on January 6, 2021.

Mr Trump is a well-known avid drinker of Diet Coke — which contains no sugar at all.

“I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke,” the future president famously tweeted in 2012.

Mr Trump’s discussions with food manufacturers have been in line with the Make America Healthy Again drive led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy announced Monday that artificial dyes would be phased out of ice cream produced in the US due to their potential role in what the administration has called the “chronic disease epidemic.”

The administration has also approved waivers for several states to ban SNAP recipients from purchasing soda and candy with government funds.

Originally published as Donald Trump gets Coca-Cola to change its recipe and use real cane sugar instead of corn syrup