The Coca-Cola Company has confirmed plans to launch a version of its signature drink made with cane sugar. The company said in its earnings report released Tuesday that the new drink with cane sugar will be available in the United States later this year.
This new “offering made with cane sugar” is “part of its ongoing innovation agenda” and “is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences,” the company said in its news release.
Coca-Cola produced for the U.S. market is typically sweetened with corn syrup. However, the company uses cane sugar in some other countries, including Mexico and various European countries. In the United States, Coca-Cola made with cane sugar is colloquially known as “Mexican Coke” as it’s often imported from the United States’ southern neighbor.
Coca-Cola already uses cane sugar in the company’s tea, lemonade, coffee and Vitamin Water offerings, CEO James Quincey said on an earnings call Tuesday morning.
“I think that it will be an enduring option for consumers,” he added. “We are definitely looking to use the whole toolkit of available sweetening options where there are consumer preferences.”
Trump’s Influence and Past Comments
The announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had been “speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so. 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!” Coca-Cola did not immediately confirm the news.
This isn’t President Trump’s first public comment on Coca-Cola’s ingredients. Back in 2012, as a businessman, Trump “posted that the company was ‘not happy’ with him, but conceded, ‘That’s okay, I’ll still keep drinking that garbage.’
The latest statement , however, makes it clear that while Coca-Cola is expanding its product range, the iconic taste of its original cola, sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, will remain unchanged. This suggests a strategic move by the company to cater to diverse consumer preferences without altering the core product that has defined its brand for decades.
The Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, named for the social movement aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been urging food companies to modify their formulations to remove ingredients like artificial dyes.
Identical Metabolic Effects, Differing Economic Impacts
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, stated that “both high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are about 50% fructose, 50% glucose, and have identical metabolic effects.”
That means, both sweeteners can equally raise the risk for obesity, diabetes, high triglycerides and blood pressure. Both provide the same amount of calories, but the body processes them differently.
The CEO of the Corn Refiners Association last week noted that “replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar doesn’t make sense” given Trump’s support of American farmers.
“Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit,” he added in a statement.
Shifting Tastes and Market Demand
The beverage giant’s decision to launch a new cane sugar-sweetened Coke in the US, while maintaining its high-fructose corn syrup flagship, highlights evolving consumer preferences and global industry trends that could directly affect countries like Ghana.
In many parts of the world, including Ghana, consumers are increasingly health-conscious and demand more “natural” ingredients and alternatives to high-fructose corn syrup.
While local Coca-Cola products already use different sweetener formulations based on regional preferences and ingredient availability, this development in the U.S. could influence future product innovations and ingredient sourcing decisions globally. Ghanaian consumers, who have a strong appreciation for cane sugar in their traditional foods and drinks, might see this as a positive sign of a shift towards preferred sweeteners.
Notably, Ghana has been actively addressing sugar consumption. The Government of Ghana aims to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). “By 2030, the Government of Ghana will reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages from 32.4 g/d to 15 g/d,” according to the Global Nutrition Report. This policy objective demonstrates a local commitment to healthier dietary habits, making Coca-Cola’s global moves highly relevant.
Impact on Local Businesses and Agriculture
Ghana’s economy is significantly influenced by agricultural production, including sugar. Any major shift in sweetener trends, even if initiated in a distant market like the US, can have a domino effect. If the demand for cane sugar in large markets like the US grows, it could potentially impact global sugar prices or even open up new export opportunities for sugar-producing countries.
Ghana’s sugarcane production was about 156.80 thousand metric tons in 2023, with a forecasted increase. However, Ghana also imports a significant amount of sugar. In 2020, “Ghana imported US$151 million worth of raw sugar alone,” ranking as the 45th largest importer globally. Ghanaian businesses involved in sugar processing or those considering investment in the sugar industry should closely monitor these international market signals. A broader preference for cane sugar globally could, in the long term, stimulate local production and reduce reliance on imported alternatives. The revitalization of factories like the Komenda Sugar Factory, though facing challenges, reflects Ghana’s strategic interest in self-sufficiency in sugar production.
Health Reckoning and Ingredient Transparency in Ghana
The public discourse surrounding Coca-Cola’s ingredients, partly fueled by high-profile individuals like President Trump, shows a growing demand for transparency in food and beverage production. Consumers worldwide, including those in Ghana, are becoming more informed about what they consume. This trend pushes companies to consider not just taste but also the perceived health benefits and naturalness of their ingredients.
For Ghanaian food and beverage companies, this highlights the importance of understanding consumer preferences for sweeteners. They must be prepared to adapt product offerings to meet evolving health consciousness. It’s a reminder that what starts as a preference in one major market can quickly become a global expectation. Ghana’s own 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, approved by Parliament and signed into law in 2023, is a testament to this global trend.
As Professor Amos Laar of the University of Ghana stated, “the Government of Ghana has manifold opportunities and a responsibility to use public health policies to protect, promote and assure the health of its citizens. One such opportunity is the enactment and implementation of this tax.” This policy directly reflects a proactive approach to public health, a sentiment that resonates with the broader discussion around sweetener choices in beverage production.
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