President Donald Trump said that Coca-Cola will soon use real cane sugar in its U.S. goods again after decades of using high fructose corn syrup. He claimed that he was personally responsible for making the change happen.
He said on social media that the move would be “just better” for American customers and that the Atlanta-based beverage giant would “do a very good thing by doing this.” After talks with Coca-Cola’s leaders, Trump said on social media that the company has “agreed to use REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States.”
Someone from the Coca-Cola company said in a statement, “We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand.” We will soon share more information about our new and innovative Coca-Cola products.
Since the mid-1980s, almost all Coca-Cola sold in the U.S. has been sweetened with high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar. This is a less expensive option that has a lot of political power.
Iowa, which grows more corn than any other state in the U.S., is where high fructose corn syrup is made for sale. Farming has used it as a main crop since the 1970s, and big companies like Archer Daniels Midland have important plants in Iowa. They have a lot of power in Washington, D.C., as does the “farm lobby,” which is a group of organizations that speak up for farms. The farm group in the U.S. sets farm policy that heavily subsidizes corn and puts tariffs and quotas on imported sugar. This makes high fructose corn syrup the sweetener of choice for many food producers in the U.S. These changes are made stronger by the fact that Iowa has the first presidential caucus on the election calendar, which plays a big part in presidential politics.
When did Coke start using corn syrup?
When Coca-Cola was first made in the 1800s, its original recipe called for cane sugar as the main flavoring. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the economy and rules were changing quickly, that changed.
Coca-Cola started mixing corn syrup with sugar in its drinks because sugar prices were going up because of things like U.S. government quotas and tariffs on imported sugar and more subsidies for local corn. By 1984, the change was complete. It wasn’t sugar that was used to sweeten “New Coke” after the debate over its formula and the return of “Coca-Cola Classic.” Instead, it was high fructose corn syrup.
The cult of “Mexican Coke”
In some places, like Mexico and Europe, Coca-Cola has continued to use cane sugar. This has created a cult following for “Mexican Coke” among U.S. customers who liked the original taste.
Drinkers in the United States have long said that cane sugar makes drinks taste different. Imports of “Mexican Coke” made with real sugar became a famous niche product. This led to the release of limited edition “throwback” sodas made with cane sugar from time to time.
It’s still not clear how quickly Coca-Cola will switch to cane sugar across the country. It’s also still not clear how this move fits in with Trump’s larger use of tariffs, such as the taxes that made sugar imports more expensive than subsidized corn before he took office. But it’s not just a big change to the mix for a soda made by a big company.
Coca-Cola did not answer right away when asked for a response. Fortune has also asked the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board for their thoughts.
