The multinational announced its return to cane sugar following a formal request from the president
For years, the company has been replacing the sugar that gave the soda its typical flavor with high-fructose corn syrup, which is a cheaper sweetener. This policy sparked criticism from the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who, as part of his Make America Healthy Again campaign ("Let's Make America Healthy Again"), went so far as to call it "poison."
Coca-Cola has started selling sodas with cane sugar in the United States following a formal request from President Donald Trump. The multinational plans to sell this version in the classic glass bottles that the public longs for.
Starting in the fall, the company will sell "a new 12-ounce (355 ml) individual glass bottle in select U.S. markets, offering consumers a classic and timeless way to enjoy the original taste of Coca-Cola, made with American cane sugar," a company spokesperson told The New York Post.
It is worth noting that several international versions of Coca-Cola use cane sugar, including the one produced in Mexico. The company began importing this version to Texas in the early 2000s and since then it has gained a cult following, whose members claim that cane sugar gives it a "cleaner and crisper" taste.
"It is clearly linked to the obesity and diabetes epidemic," Kennedy said in 2023 on a radio program. "If you're going to drink Coca-Cola, drink a Mexican Coke, because that one doesn't have it," he added.
Amid the excitement over this decision, Coca-Cola's Chief Financial Officer, John Murphy, told Bloomberg that this version "will be a measured launch," since "there is only a limited amount of cane sugar available in the United States."
"If we look at the success of Mexican Coke in the United States, it is due to the combination of the product and the packaging, and we want to offer that same combination using American cane sugar," Murphy added.
Coca-Cola, like other companies in the food sector, has had good results with its healthier products, such as BodyArmor and Smartwater. In the third quarter, the global volume of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar increased by 14%.
