Coca‑Cola’s Cane Sugar Switch: A Dietitian’s Take

What’s the Buzz?

About a week ago, President Trump announced that Coca‑Cola has agreed to switch from high‑fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to cane sugar in its U.S. products—echoing advocacy from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. Coke hasn’t officially confirmed the move yet, so hold that thought.  As a dietitian, I wanted to take a look at what this change might do for the overall health of Americans if it actually goes through.

The first thing to look at is if cane sugar is “healthier” than HFCS.  This is going to get a little science-y.  Let’s walk through it together.  We need to know what cane sugar looks like compared to HFCS:

• Cane sugar (aka sucrose) = 50% glucose + 50% fructose.
  
  
• HFCS = ~45% glucose + 55% fructose  (see, it’s higher in fructose than cane sugar).

Same monosaccharides, just slightly different amounts.  Glucose is the body’s main source of energy.  All cells use it to function.  We like glucose.  Fructose can also be used as energy, but it’s a little trickier to use than glucose, we need the liver to process it first.  Cane sugar (sucrose) and HFCS are pretty similar in chemical make up and our bodies know what to do when we consume them.  So if they’re not much different, maybe it’s the amount?

Sugar can be found naturally in foods (like grains, fruits, veggies, and dairy), or it can be added (like honey, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, HFCS).  Research is finding it’s not the sugar found in foods, it’s not the type of sugar, but how much is ADDED to something.  

Don’t worry, there are definitely recommendations for added sugar.  The first is from The Dietary Guidelines.  They recommend keeping added sugar to <10% of your total calories.  So, for a 2,000 calorie diet, that would be 200 calories from added sugar, or 50 grams of added sugar per day (since there are 4 calories per gram).  The American Heart Association (AHA) is a little stricter.  They recommend no more than 25 grams of added sugar for women and 36 grams of added sugar for men per day.

For context, the average adult consumes about 68 grams of added sugar a day.  A typical 12‑oz Coke contains about 39 g of sugar—a full day’s AHA limit in a single can, and still 80% of the recommendation from The Dietary Guidelines.

Is the change to cane sugar reducing the amount of added sugar in sodas?  Nope.  So, as it stands, changing to cane sugar doesn’t actually make the drink healthier since the body processes the HFCS and the cane sugar essentially the same way.  Nor is it decreasing the amount of sugar in the drink.

Are there any drawbacks to changing to cane sugar?

• Consumer prices might go up: Cane sugar costs about three times more than HFCS, so a nationwide switch could significantly raise production costs. Reuters.
• It could hurt farmers:  Dropping the use of HFCS in soda could lead to a drop in the demand for corn, hurting US farmers. Reuters.
• Hypothetically, talk of soda with cane sugar is being promoted as “healthier” when in fact it’s really a neutral swap.  But if people think it’s healthier, would they lean towards drinking more?
  
  

Are there any positives to making the switch?

• Hypothetically, the increased price in soda due to the more expensive cane sugar would lead to less people buying it?  
• Some people say cane sugar tastes better in Coke than HFCS.  I dunno, I’m not a Coke drinker.

Final Take: Help, Hurt, or Nothing?

• 🟢 Help: Only if sugar content is reduced, which is at stands, it is not.
  
  
• 🔴 Hurt: Economically—higher costs for consumers, distressed U.S. corn farmers, complicated supply chains.
  
  
• ⚪ Nothing: In terms of health—if it ends up purely a sweetener swap, it will be business as usual: same sugar load, same health concerns.

My Take:

It doesn’t seem like this swap is going to do anything for the health of the country.  (just like changing the food dyes to “natural”).  You need to look at the bigger picture.

1. Read the label—regardless of sweetener type, high intake of any added sugar is linked to chronic disease (like diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, obesity, etc).  The nutrition label has been redesigned to include total sugar vs added sugar.  Start checking to see what your favorite foods have in terms of added sugar.
2. Healthier swaps—water, sparkling water, herbal tea, or naturally infused waters remain the best choices for hydration, not sweetened beverages.
3. Moderation is key– having foods with added sugar (because it’s not just soda- think ice cream, cookies, coffee drinks, candy, etc) can be part of a well balanced diet- but you need something to balance them with- fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy.  Having less processed foods allows for fun foods too!  It’s not all or nothing.

A true win would be if Coca‑Cola used this pivot as a springboard to reduce sugar content. Otherwise, you’re paying more for the same amount of risk and calories.

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy

This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.