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Former President Donald Trump said that he recently spoke to the Coca-Cola Company about using real cane sugar in the Coca-Cola drinks sold in the United States. According to him, the company agreed to start adding real sugar to its products. However, Coca-Cola has not confirmed whether this is true. When asked, a spokesperson for the company did not say yes or no. Instead, she thanked President Trump for his support and said that more information about new products will be shared soon.
Trump did not talk about high-fructose corn syrup, which is a cheaper sweetener that has been used in Coca-Cola in the U.S. since the 1980s. Some health experts, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., believe this ingredient plays a role in the growing obesity problem in the country. Coca-Cola originally switched from using sugar to corn syrup to save money as sugar prices rose. Today, the company uses a mix of both in many of its drinks, but it hasn’t said if it plans to stop using corn syrup completely.
Even though U.S. Coca-Cola uses corn syrup, there are already a few types of Coke made with real sugar. One is called Mexican Coke, which is made in Mexico using cane sugar. It became so popular that Coca-Cola started officially bringing it into the U.S. in 2005. You can now find it in many grocery stores and small shops, especially in areas with large Hispanic communities. Another version is a special Coca-Cola made for the Jewish holiday of Passover. During this time, some religious groups avoid corn and certain grains, so Coca-Cola makes a version with sugar instead. This one is easy to spot because it comes with a yellow cap.
So far, the White House hasn’t said anything about Trump’s statement, and Coca-Cola has not confirmed any big changes yet. For now, it’s not certain if U.S. Coke will actually go back to using only real sugar anytime soon.