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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Sian Baldwin

Donald Trump says Coca Cola will be changing a key ingredient - here's all we know

Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP) - (AP)

Dondal Trump has announced Coca Cola will undergo a change after it came in for criticism for additives in the soft drink.

The American President announced a key ingredient will change while claiming that he was instrumental in getting his favourite drink to change recipe.

The US leader is known to be a big fan of Diet Coke, and reportedly even has a ‘Diet Coke Bell’ in the White House which he presses when he fancies a sip.

The famous fizzy pop will now contain real cane sugar in its drinks sold in the US, ditching highly processed corn syrup.

The brand is making the change after the industry came under fire with proposed new health rules coming into force in the States, which is aiming to reduce the levels of artificial dyes and additives in food and drink.

Trump's Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr voiced concern about the health impacts in consumables like corn syrup.

And now, Donald Trump has claimed he is to thank for the drinks giant changing its ways to move forward.

He said: “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. You'll see. It's just better!”

Coke sold in the US is typically sweetened with corn syrup, while Coke in other countries - such as Mexico, the UK and Australia - tends to use cane sugar.

In April, Coca-Cola boss James Quincey told investors that "we continue to make progress on sugar reduction in our beverages".

He said the Atlanta-based company has "done this by changing recipes as well as by using our global marketing resources and distribution network to boost awareness of and interest in our ever-expanding portfolio".

Coca-Cola said they "appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm". But critics said it would hit American farmers as more cane sugar will be imported from abroad.

Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode said in a statement: "Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs, depress farm income, and boost imports of foreign sugar, all with no nutritional benefit."

The US health secretary and his Make America Healthy Again movement have advocated for companies to remove ingredients such as corn syrup, seed oils and artificial dyes from their products, linking them to a litany of health problem

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