The ag industry is seeking clarity after President Donald Trump said Wednesday Coca-Cola had agreed to use cane sugar in its namesake soda. Amid criticism of sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup, the announcement is an example of how Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement continue efforts to reshape the food industry.
The move would benefit U.S. sugar producers at the expense of corn farmers.
“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,” said Trump, a noted Diet Coke drinker, on Truth Social. “This will be a very good move by them – you’ll see. It’s just better!”
Coca-Cola Denies Change
A Coca-Cola spokesperson did not confirm the change, instead saying: “We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand. More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.”
John Bode, president and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association, says it’s more likely the company is launching a new product with cane sugar.
“They introduce new products all the time and then see how that product works,” Bode says. “That would make so much more sense than a sweeping reformulation.”
High-Fructose Corn Syrup Same Nutritional Value as Cane Sugar
HHS Secretary Kennedy has criticized sugar, but has also called high-fructose corn syrup bad for American’s health, and “a formula for making you obese and diabetic.”
But Bode says replacing high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar achieves no nutritional benefits.
“Every authoritative scientific body that has addressed the subject says high-fructose corn syrup is nutritionally equivalent to sugar and other chlorine sweeteners. There’s no health benefit or disadvantage from using HFCs,” he adds.
Switch Away from High-Fructose Corn Syrup Would Hurt Economy
Economically, Bode says the move would cost 10,000 manufacturing jobs, result in the U.S. importing about $4 billion more sugar annually and go against Trump’s America First agenda.
“It would add to the U.S. trade deficit because every pound of cane sugar that would replace HFCS would be imported and, of course, it would be replacing all U.S. products.”
Corn Farmers: The Ultimate Losers
The shift would depress U.S. corn prices, as a third of the total volume of refined corn goes to high-fructose corn syrup .
“North Dakota State University just did a study, and ag economists concluded the impact of replacing HFCS with other sweeteners would cost between 15 and 34 cents per bushel on the national value, national price of corn.”
Randy Martinson, Martinson Ag, says if Coca-Cola replaced high-fructose corn syrup in Coke it would equate to around 110 million bushels of corn per year.
“It takes away a demand source, so now all of a sudden we start needing to find another demand source for 100 to 400 million bushels of corn, and we see stocks increase again,” Martinson says. “Then that starts to be a little bit negative to the marketplace.”
