Donald Trump announced that Coca-Cola will use sugarcane to replace corn syrup in the production of that soft drink, following the campaign launched by the Secretary of Health, Robert Kennedy Jr., to reduce the consumption of calories in the diet of Americans.
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“I have been talking to Coca-Cola about the use of sugarcane in Coca-Cola in the United States, and they have agreed to do it. I would like to thank all those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move on their part. It’s just better!" wrote Trump on social media.
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In many other countries where the company has factories, such as in Mexico, sugar cane is used, so it was being sold in the United States, but now the recipe would be equalized and no longer have to be brought from other markets.
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative began pressuring food companies to remove certain ingredients, such as artificial colorants.
Kennedy Jr. criticized the amount of sugar consumed by the population, so new dietary guidelines will be announced to advise Americans to consume a balanced diet.
According to El Economista, corn producers from the Midwest of the United States have long been pressuring lawmakers in Washington. Florida, the president’s home state, is the country’s top producer of sugarcane.
The change that erases differences
So far, many consumers in the United States have preferred to import Mexican Coca-Cola bottled in glass, due to its more “authentic” flavor, resulting from the use of cane sugar instead of the high fructose corn syrup typical in the American version.
This phenomenon created a small but solid import market for the bottle Coke, highly sought after in specialized supermarkets, Latin stores, and even on e-commerce platforms.
A decision with a binational impact
With the new formula on the horizon for Coca-Cola in the United States, that differentiation disappears. The need to import the Mexican version could decrease significantly, putting at risk a portion of the export market for this iconic product.
The measure is part of a strategy by Trump to encourage the use of local agricultural products, in this case, American sugar cane, displacing inputs derived from genetically modified corn.
Is it the end of a classic?
Although Coca-Cola Mexico has not issued an official statement, this decision could directly impact bottling plants in the national territory that supply the US demand. In addition, nostalgic consumers or lovers of the traditional flavor could see their access to the original Mexican version limited.
Time will tell if this change will be definitive or if, as has happened in other markets, parallel versions will be maintained to satisfy specific audiences. The truth is that Mexican Coca-Cola, the one that many swore had a “better taste,” is about to be displaced by a local reformulation that erases the taste border.