Coca-Cola confirmed that it will release a new Coke made with cane sugar. The announcement follows a social media post from President Donald Trump last week in which he claimed he persuaded the company to replace high-fructose corn syrup.
The company revealed in its earnings report Tuesday that as “part of its ongoing innovation agenda,” it will launch in the fall an “offering made with US cane sugar” as part of its product range. Some versions of Coke already use cane sugar, including Coca-Cola sold in Mexico.
“This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences,” Coca-Cola said in a statement.
CEO James Quincey said on a call with analysts that he thinks the drink “will be an enduring option for consumers” and noted that Coca-Cola uses cane sugar in several other of its beverages sold in the US, including lemonade and coffee.
Cane sugar is “blended into some of our other products, and so we are definitely looking to use the whole toolkit of available sweetening options where there are consumer preferences,” he said.
Last week, Trump said that Coca-Cola had “agreed” to use cane sugar in its colas. But Tuesday’s announcement reveals that Coke’s flagship recipe isn’t changing and will continue to use high-fructose corn syrup. Instead, the company will create a separate Coke product that includes cane sugar.
American-made Coca-Cola is made with high-fructose corn syrup, an ingredient that Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has aggressively advocated against.
Credit: cnn.com
