MAHA-inspired Coke shift isn't a health win, nutritionists say
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Nutrition leaders have this to say about Coca-Cola's decision to launch a U.S. product made with cane sugar: It won't make America healthier.
Why it matters: President Trump's announcement last week that the company would pivot from corn syrup was as much about power and asserting leverage as it was about advancing the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.
- It also reflected the movement's preoccupation with rooting out ingredients it deems harmful like corn syrup, seed oils or food colorants that — a strategy nutritionists say ignores the bigger point.
The big picture: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be correct that high-fructose corn syrup is a driver of obesity and other chronic disease, but physicians and food experts say alternatives like sugar cane and beet sugar also lead to weight gain and bad outcomes.
- "These one ingredient changes don't make these foods healthy," said Marion Nestle, professor emeritus of nutrition and public health at New York University. "They're not going to make any difference unless they change the dietary intake of what people are eating."
- Substituting cane sugar for high fructose corn syrup is more like a cosmetic change, said Priya Fielding-Singh, director of policy and programs at George Washington University's Global Food Institute.
- It "feels like a bit of a misplaced effort," she said.
State of play: Coca-Cola said Tuesday that a new Coke offering made with cane sugar will appear on shelves this fall alongside traditional, high-fructose corn syrup Coke.
- Only it's not exactly "new." U.S. consumers have already been able to get cane-sugar Coke imported from Mexico. It's even made limited runs of "Passover Coke," made with sugar instead of corn syrup.
- Kennedy nonetheless welcomed the announcement, telling Axios in a statement that "Americans deserve access to the same natural foods that other countries enjoy and we are delivering that."
The food industry has made other moves to align itself with MAHA's agenda. The Consumer Brands Association on Tuesday said it would encourage members to stop making products with artificial dyes by the end of 2027. The dairy industry this month committed to eliminating artificial dyes from ice creams.
- Fast-food chain Steak 'n Shake also announced earlier this year that it was "RFK"ing it's french fries by cooking them in beef tallow instead of seed oils.
Zoom out: Scientific reviews show that ultra-processed foods can contribute to the development of chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
- But replacing one ingredient — even if it's a highly processed ingredient — isn't going to change the fact that the food product is still ultra-processed.
- "It doesn't matter whether it has cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup —it's still sugar," Nestle said. "They're fine as occasional treats, but nobody should be drinking liters of soda and nobody should be eating quarts of ice cream" even after MAHA-influenced ingredient changes.
Cutting back the sodium content in foods, reducing intake of ultra-processed foods and making fresh produce more affordable are some interventions that could actually improve population health, Nestle added.
Reality check: Kennedy speaks frequently about reducing Americans' intake of ultra-processed foods, and has championed state efforts to restrict SNAP benefits from being used to purchase soda.
- Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told investors in April that the company is making progress on reducing sugar in its beverages by changing recipes and using global marketing and distribution resources to increase "interest in our ever-expanding portfolio."
What to watch: HHS is set to unveil revamped nutritional guidelines later this year. Kennedy could use the guidelines to exert broader influence over the American food supply and diet.
