Coca-Cola launches new soft drink made from cane sugar, meeting Mr. Trump's request but still keeping the original formula

Coca-Cola will launch a new version of its soft drink this fall using cane sugar produced in the United States, the company announced on July 23, in response to former President Donald Trump's claim that he had "successfully persuaded" the company to switch its sweetener.

However, Coca-Cola stressed that its original formula, which uses high fructose corn syrup, will not be replaced. The cane sugar version is just an additional option to diversify the product.

Last week, on Truth Social, Mr. Trump announced that Coca-Cola had agreed to switch to cane sugar instead of corn syrup. However, the reality is that the company only introduced a new product line, not a complete change.

Corn syrup has long been criticized by some in the Trump administration. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called it a “recipe for obesity and diabetes” and called for the removal of industrial sweeteners from foods.

Although cane sugar is touted as more natural, health experts say consuming too much sugar in any form is harmful.

"Instead of focusing on the type of sugar, the government should reduce the overall amount of sugar in foods to protect people's health," said Eva Greental of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

While Coca-Cola has begun testing new products, rival PepsiCo has yet to change its traditional soda formula. However, some products, such as prebiotic sodas and its recently acquired Poppi brand, use cane sugar.

Mr. Ramon Laguarta, CEO of PepsiCo, said that sugar prices in the US are still high and there needs to be supportive agricultural policies for the industry to transform sustainably.

Coca-Cola's move comes as many US companies pledge to eliminate artificial colours by 2028. This shows growing pressure from consumers and the government to improve food quality, in the context of the US government promoting the MAHA campaign "Make America Healthy Again".

Source: https://baonghean.vn/coca-cola-ra-mat-nuoc-ngot-moi-tu-duong-mia-dap-ung-yeu-cau-cua-ong-trump-nhung-van-giu-cong-thuc-goc-10303014.html