Coca-Cola’s New Cane Sugar Line Might Not Be As Good As Mexican Coke

Forbes

The Mexican Coke has been made with cane sugar for years, but could the new Coca-Cola product in the U.S. be better?  Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2025/07/23/why-coca-colas-new-cane-sugar-line-might-not-be-as-good-as-mexican-coke/  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00Today on Forbes, why Coca-Cola's new cane sugar line may not be as good as Mexican Coke.

00:08After President Donald Trump chided Coca-Cola on social media in mid-July,

00:13applauding them for the move to cane sugar for its iconic soda, Coca-Cola had first denied the news.

00:19Coca-Cola has traditionally used high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in its Coca-Cola products in the U.S.,

00:25but Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,

00:29has voiced concern about the ingredient.

00:31In a post on Truth Social on July 16, Trump wrote,

00:34quote,

00:35I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using real cane sugar in Coke in the United States,

00:40and they have agreed to do so.

00:42I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola.

00:45This will be a very good move by them.

00:47You'll see, it's just better.

00:50The company responded with a spokesperson saying that they, quote,

00:54appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand,

00:58and that, quote,

00:59more details on new, innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon.

01:06Then, on July 22, while releasing its second quarter earnings,

01:10the $47 billion in annual revenue company confirmed a cane sugar line is en route

01:15and will hit stores this fall.

01:17It's a big win for the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, movement,

01:22as more and more big food holdouts, like Kellogg's,

01:25are relenting to demands from health-concerned consumers.

01:29Chloe Sorvino, Forbes' staff writer who covers food,

01:33doesn't think that this new product will be better than the cult favorite Mexican Coke,

01:37which has been made with cane sugar for years

01:39and is a rare treat for many when they find it in a U.S. restaurant.

01:42She doubts Coke will launch this new product in glass,

01:47which is the way Mexican Coke is sold.

01:49She says that glass simply makes a better beverage.

01:52But here's the catch.

01:53Tariffs are driving up the price of glass.

01:57Sorvino says she's willing to bet that the American cane sugar Coke

02:00launches in plastic bottles.

02:02But if Coca-Cola did want to go the high-end route with this launch,

02:07it has a pretty glaring opportunity.

02:10Coca-Cola has confirmed that the sugar cane will come from America,

02:13but has yet to say where it will be sourced.

02:16And that decision is extremely important.

02:19Before discussing Coca-Cola's options,

02:21it's crucial to note that sugar cane farming in America

02:23has been a nasty business,

02:25with a history among the most violent of any crop

02:28that started out completely reliant on the global slave trade.

02:32Today, there are two U.S. operations

02:34that have the capacity to supply a launch of Coca-Cola's scale.

02:38A Cargill joint venture with growers in Louisiana

02:41called Louisiana Sugar Refining,

02:43and Florida Crystal,

02:45a Sunshine State grower and processor

02:47that's owned by the wealthy Fanjul family.

02:51If Coca-Cola picks Florida Crystal as its supplier,

02:54it would create a new supply stream

02:55for America's largest certified regenerative organic farm.

03:00In today's market,

03:01many shoppers want to know that their dollars

03:03are supporting sustainable farming practices.

03:06If Coca-Cola wants to prove it's a leader in sustainability,

03:09using its significant corporate might

03:11to build such a large supply chain

03:13for a certified regenerative key ingredient

03:15would be a good place to start.

03:18For full coverage,

03:19check out Chloe Sorvino's weekly newsletter,

03:22Fresh Take, on Forbes.com.

03:24This is Kieran Meadows from Forbes.

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