COCA-COLA has officially confirmed its plans to roll out a new recipe for its iconic namesake soda in the US.
The popular beverage maker made the announcement just days after the ingredient switch-up was leaked by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post that prompted a frenzy on social media.
The Coca-Cola Company, best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, is one of the biggest and most recognizable beverage corporations across the globe, with products sold in over 200 countries and territories.
The beloved drink maker is looking to grow its beverage portfolio in the US, eyeing the launch of a new version of Coca-Cola that ditches high-fructose corn syrup.
The company first began using high-fructose corn syrup to sweeten Coke in the US in the 1980s, but following fan pleads and a recent health movement sparked by the Trump administration, that’s about to change.
Coca-Cola plans to soon debut a new version of the iconic drink sweetened with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup in the US, the company shared on Tuesday in a news release announcing its second quarter earnings.
“As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with US cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range,” wrote the company.
The beverage manufacturer said the new product is “designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.”
Coca-Cola already uses cane sugar in its namesake beverage in other markets such as Mexico.
The so-called “Mexican Coke” has gained a significant following among Americans over the past 10 years or so as stores such as Costco and Target have stocked the drink after it was in high demand in bodegas and restaurants catering to Hispanic customers.
SUGAR LEAK
The recipe switch-up announcement comes just days after President Trump leaked the move in a post to his Truth Social platform.
“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,” the president wrote in his post on Wednesday.
“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!”
Trump is a longtime fan of Diet Coke, which is made using aspartame, an artificial sweetener commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and drinks.
The president even has a button in the Oval Office that, when pressed, summons a valet to deliver him a Diet Coke on a silver platter.
The Trump-appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has been vocal about his disdain for high-fructose corn syrup, saying that it leads to obesity and chronic disease.
As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with US cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range.”
The Coca-Cola Company
However, experts have argued that cane sugar isn’t necessarily a healthier alternative to high-fructose corn syrup.
While Coca-Cola’s recipe change is a step in the right direction, there is not a major difference between the two sweeteners in terms of their effects on the body, especially when they are consumed in excess, nutritional experts told ABC News.
On average, there is not likely a big difference between carbonated drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and those made with cane sugar aside from taste, Angela Zivkovic, professor and nutritionist at the University of California, told the outlet.
Drinks made with cane sugar are not much better for one’s health, she said, emphasizing that both sweeteners can be unhealthy when they are consumed frequently and in large amounts.
