Coca-Cola confirms that it will release version with cane sugar this year

Coca-Cola confirmed that between September and December it will release a version of the drink made with cane sugar. The company made the announcement on Tuesday in a statement in which it also announced its second-quarter results.

"As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range,” the Atlanta, Georgia-based company said in a statement.

After learning of the report, the company's chief executive, James Quincey, explained that the new version will not replace the current drink but will be an entirely new product that will be made with cane sugar. "This is really an ‘and’ strategy and not an ‘or’ strategy," Quincey said.

"We are going to continue to use a lot of the corn syrup that we do now," he added in a conversation with The Wall Street Journal.

On July 16, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Coca-Cola had agreed, upon his request, to make the modification.

"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," Trump posted on Truth Social.

"I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!" the Republican assured.

The group then thanked Trump for his enthusiasm toward the "iconic Coca-Cola brand" and promised that it would "soon" announce new and innovative offerings.

High fructose corn syrup in Coca-Cola

The company currently sweetens its beverages in the United States with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), instead of the sucrose extracted from sugar cane it uses in other countries.

HFCS became popular in the United States in the 1970s, AFP recalled, thanks to federal subsidies granted to corn producers and high tariffs on cane sugar.