Coca-Cola has announced that it will be introducing a cane sugar version of its leading soda product to the U.S. market this fall, confirming President Donald Trump’s pre-emptive announcement made days earlier.
The new offering of Coca-Cola will be available in the U.S. alongside the iconic version, which uses high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener and will remain unchanged. (Diet and Coke Zero products use aspartame and other artificial sweeteners.)
The soda company said that the upcoming availability of the cane sugar product is part of its “ongoing innovation agenda.”
“This addition is designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences,” Coca-Cola said on Tuesday in its second quarterly update of the year.
The company’s chairman and CEO James Quincey elaborated further on a conference call with investors, during which he referenced Trump’s recent comments and praised his interest in the matter. “We appreciate the President’s enthusiasm for our Coca-Cola brand,” he said. “We are definitely looking to use the whole tool kit of available sweetening options.”
Read More: Here’s What the New Coke Tasted Like in the 1980s
Trump, who reportedly has a button at his desk in the Oval Office to request Diet Coke, had pre-emptively announced the ingredient change on July 16.
“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. This will be a very good move by them. You’ll see. It’s just better,” he said on Truth Social.
Coca-Cola produced in Mexico contains cane sugar. It’s sold in the U.S. and is widely referred to as “Mexican Coke” and is known for its long-neck glass bottle presentation. Cane sugar is also used in Coca-Cola produced in other countries across the rest of the world.
The U.S. began importing the Mexican version of the beverage in 2005, and it is preferred by some in the U.S. over the…
