President Donald Trump posted on social media on Wednesday, July 16 that the Coca-Cola Corp. has agreed to use real cane sugar in its U.S. products. Coke has not acknowledged whether that is the case or not, but it presents an interesting development.
The Trump Administration has made a major push to improve the health of Americans by taking aim at sugar and other high-calorie staples in the U.S. diet.
While the Atlanta-based Fortune 500 company has not released any details on Trump’s message, if true, the change would be a significant development.
Coca-Cola and High Fructose Corn Syrup: A History
AI illustration via Playhouse Media
The Coca-Cola Company began using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its U.S. products in the late 1970s.
It started with a partial transition in 1980, blending HFCS with sugar (sucrose) for up to 50% of the sweetener in its flagship Coca-Cola beverage and other non-cola drinks like Sprite, Mr. Pibb, and Fanta.
By 1984, the company had fully switched to 100% HFCS for its U.S. market beverages, including Coca-Cola Classic, driven by economic factors such as high sugar prices due to U.S. trade restrictions and tariffs, as well as subsidies making corn cheaper. Therefore, Coca-Cola has been using HFCS in its U.S. products for approximately 45 years.
Top 10 Coke Products And Their Sweeteners
Here is a table listing 10 popular Coca-Cola products in the United States, their primary sweetener(s), and the approximate date when the sweetener began being used in the U.S. market.
| Product | Sweetener | Date Began Using Sweetener (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|
| Coca-Cola (Classic) | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1980 (partial); 1984 (full) |
| Diet Coke | Aspartame | 1983 |
| Coca-Cola Zero Sugar | Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium | 2005 |
| Sprite | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1980 (partial); 1984 (full) |
| Fanta Orange | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1980 (partial); 1984 (full) |
| Minute Maid Lemonade | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1960 (acquisition, HFCS later) |
| Powerade (Fruit Punch) | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1990s (exact date unclear) |
| Dasani (flavored waters) | Sucralose (some variants) | 1999 (introduction, sucralose later) |
| Barq’s Root Beer | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1990s (post-acquisition) |
| Coca-Cola Cherry | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | 1985 (introduction, HFCS standard) |
Coke And Sugar
- Coca-Cola (Classic): Transitioned to HFCS starting in 1980, with full replacement of cane sugar by 1984 due to economic factors like sugar tariffs and corn subsidies.
- Diet Coke: Uses aspartame as its primary sweetener since its U.S. launch in 1982, with early blends including saccharin until 1983 when aspartame became the sole sweetener.
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar: Introduced in 2005 with aspartame and acesulfame potassium to mimic the taste of regular Coca-Cola without sugar.
- Sprite and Fanta Orange: Like Coca-Cola Classic, these non-cola beverages shifted to HFCS in the early 1980s, aligning with the company’s broader sweetener change.
- Minute Maid Lemonade: Acquired in 1960, it adopted HFCS as the standard sweetener for most U.S. juice products by the 1980s, though exact dates are less documented.
- Powerade: Launched in the late 1980s, it uses HFCS, consistent with industry trends for sports drinks in the U.S. during the 1990s.
- Dasani (flavored variants): Introduced in 1999, some flavored versions use sucralose, a zero-calorie artificial sweetener, starting in the early 2000s.
- Barq’s Root Beer: Acquired in 1995, it uses HFCS, standard for Coca-Cola’s U.S. soft drinks post-1980s.
- Coca-Cola Cherry: Launched in 1985, it adopted HFCS as the standard sweetener, consistent with other Coca-Cola products at the time.
- General Note: The shift to HFCS in the U.S. was driven by economic factors, including high sugar tariffs and corn subsidies, making HFCS cheaper. Some products, like Mexican Coca-Cola, use cane sugar but are not standard in the U.S. market.
Final Word
Coca-Cola has not officially confirmed this claim or provided a specific timeline for the transition. Analysts suggest the company might start with limited regional rollouts or specialty offerings, similar to the cane sugar-sweetened “Mexican Coke” already available in the U.S., but no exact date for a nationwide switch has been established.
The lack of an official statement from Coca-Cola leaves the timeline uncertain, and the transition could depend on supply chain adjustments and cost considerations, especially given potential tariff impacts on cane sugar imports.