‘IT’S SAFE’

Coca-Cola Hits Back at Trump Over Claims Its Recipe’s Unhealthy

The soft drink company released a statement on Thursday, seemingly countering its Wednesday statement that thanked the president.

Coca-Cola has fought back on President Donald Trump’s claims that it would be “just better” to replace the soft drink’s high fructose corn syrup with sugar. The company backpedaled on a Wednesday statement thanking Trump for his “enthusiasm” and confirming that the brand will soon deliver “new offerings.” On Thursday, the company released an updated statement: “The name sounds complex, but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—which we use to sweeten some of our beverages—is actually just a sweetener made from corn,” adding, “it’s safe; it has about the same number of calories per serving as table sugar and is metabolized in a similar way by your body.” The soda company cited a 2023 American Medical Association statement that there is no evidence to support the restriction of high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup has long been a subject of debate in public health discourse and has been called a “poison” by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump is a known fan of Diet Coke, which notably uses aspartame instead of high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar. Trump’s sudden advocacy for Mexican Coke came amid controversy suggesting he was trying to deflect from the furor over his administration’s failure to release files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.