Coca-Cola to launch new product with cane sugar this fall following Trump push

Coca-Cola announced on Tuesday that it plans to launch a new product made with real sugar as soon as this fall amid ongoing pressure from the Trump administration to ensure the nation’s food supply has cleaner ingredients. "As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range," the company said in its second-quarter earnings report. "This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences." The announcement comes days after President Donald Trump said on social media that the beverage giant agreed to use "real" cane sugar in Coke sold in the United States. NUTRITIONISTS REACT TO THE RED FOOD DYE BAN: ‘TOOK FAR TOO LONG’ "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," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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!" In the 1980s, the beverage giant swapped cane sugar, which came with high tariffs, for high-fructose corn syrup. High-fructose corn syrup was the cheaper alternative due to corn farming subsidies. After Trump's comments, Arun Sundaram, vice president and senior equity analyst at CFRA Research, projected last week that competitors will follow suit "as demand for cleaner ingredients in food and beverage products continues to rise." However, industry experts raised concerns that this switch would come at a cost to consumers, given that natural sugar is more expensive.