In its earnings report, the company disclosed that, as part of its “ongoing innovation agenda,” it will release an “offering made with US cane sugar” in the fall to expand its product lineup.
Some versions of Coke already use cane sugar, including Coca-Cola sold in Mexico.
CEO James Quincey told analysts that he believes the beverage “will be an enduring option for consumers” and highlighted that Coca-Cola already includes cane sugar in some U.S. products, such as lemonade and coffee.
Corn syrup is a common and cheap sweetener, which is why Coca-Cola made the switch many years ago.
But sugar-filled soda isn’t healthy, health experts say – whether it’s made with cane sugar or corn syrup.
“Excess consumption of sugar from any source harms health,” Eva Greenthal, senior policy scientist at the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, previously mentioned to CNN.
“To make the US food supply healthier, the Trump administration should focus on less sugar, not different sugar.”
Meanwhile, rival PepsiCo isn’t making any major changes; however, its newly announced prebiotic soda contains cane sugar, as does its recently acquired Poppi brand.
“Sugar is more expensive in the US than in many parts of the world, so I think there is a conversation with the government probably on how do we make sugar more affordable in the US, how do we have a farming strategy probably that reduces the cost of sugar and that will facilitate a lot of the transition for us and for the whole industry,” PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said on CNBC last week.
