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

After President Donald Trump chided Coca-Cola on social media last week over moving to cane sugar for its iconic soda—“It’s just better!”—Coca-Cola had denied the news. But, while releasing its second quarter earnings on Tuesday, the $47 billion (annual revenue) company confirmed a cane sugar line is en route and will hit stores this fall. It’s a big win for the MAHA movement, as more and more big food holdouts like Kellogg’s are relenting to demands from health-concerned consumers.

Several people have asked me if I think this new product will be better than the cult-favorite Mexican Coke, which has been made with cane sugar for years and is a rare treat for many when they find it in a U.S. restaurant. I don’t think it will be, and here’s why: I doubt Coke will launch this new product in glass, as Mexican Coke is sold. Glass simply makes a better beverage, but tariffs are driving up the price of glass. I’d bet that the American cane sugar Coke launches in plastic bottles.

But if Coca-Cola did want to go high-end with this launch, it has a pretty glaring opportunity. Coca-Cola has confirmed that the sugar cane will come from America, but has yet to say where it will be sourced. That decision is extremely important.

Before discussing Coca-Cola’s options, it’s crucial to note that sugar cane farming in America has been a nasty business, with a history among the most violent of any crop that started out completely reliant to the global slave trade. Today, there are two U.S. operations that have the capacity to supply a launch of Coca-Cola’s scale: a Cargill joint venture with growers in Louisiana called Louisiana Sugar Refining, and Florida Crystal, a Sunshine State grower and processor that’s owned by the wealthy Fanjul family. And if Coca-Cola picks Florida Crystal as its supplier, it would create a new supply stream for America’s largest certified regenerative organic farm.

Many shoppers want to know that their dollars are supporting sustainable farming practices. If Coca-Cola wants to prove it’s a leader in sustainability, using its significant corporate might to build such a large supply chain for a certified regenerative key ingredient would be a good place to start.

— Chloe Sorvino

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Featured Story

Coca-Cola Will Use U.S. Cane Sugar In New Product After Trump Says ‘It’s Just Better’

Coca-Cola said in its earnings release on Tuesday morning it will launch a version of the drink with cane sugar—as is already used in its products in Mexico and some European countries—later this fall.

Let’s Hang

I’ll be interviewing serial entrepreneur Justin Mares in an AMA for Forbes members at 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 30.

The Kettle & Fire chairman and I will unpack what it takes to build a better-for-you food business in 2025, how Make America Healthy Again is changing the game for the food and beverage industries and the glaring gaps that still exist. We’ll talk synthetic additives and food dyes, seed oils, Glyphosate residue and much more.

Mares has done the work. He’s been on a quest to sell healthier food to some of the most health-obsessed customers on the planet. That has fueled his bone broth brand Kettle & Fire for nearly a decade. And he has since cofounded a startup called Truemed, which helps consumers use their HSA or FSA funds for root-cause chronic disease interventions.

Watch and learn all about:

• Insider strategies on how to formulate better-for-you food and beverages for mass consumption
• Advice on the top ingredients to cut from your kitchen to stay ahead of the curve
• Tips on labeling and the certifications that actually resonate with consumers and meet them where they are
• How to scale a brand built for the MAHA era

RSVP here.

The Feed

Up In Smoke: As hunger and emergency aid programs have been dismantled for the past five months, the Trump Administration has incinerated about 500 tons of emergency food meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Atlantic reports that the provisions have expired and would have been enough to feed 1.5 million children for a week.

Only The Best For Mom: The Associated Press investigated Mom’s Meals, a brand of meals sent to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised as “one of the solutions making our country healthy again.” And the AP found the taxpayer-funded meals to really be ultra-processed foods.

ICE Watch: A small but growing group of Republicans in Congress are pushing back on widespread immigration raids and, as the Wall Street Journal reports, asking for legislation to be carved out that protects undocumented workers in agriculture. It’s a major break in party lines, as the lawmakers acknowledge that America’s food supply relies on illegal immigration.

SUMMERMAXXING

In this new series on how to make the most of your summer, in the most Fresh Take kind of way, I’ll be sharing tips and recommendations. First up is Ambrosia Bags—which has been a total gamechanger for me and my kitchen.

Why I love them: I need my weekly vegetable, fruit and mushroom shares from the neighborhood CSA to last, and these raw flax linen pouches are designed to keep cucumbers and leafy greens crisp and mushrooms plump, while extending the shelf life of the produce inside completely naturally. And the business, owned by a mother-son duo, makes every bag in Southern California.

Field Notes

A trio of hot dogs from nearby bakery Elbow Bread: One with kimchi, one with mustard and sauerkraut and one with corn and tomato relish.

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