PITTSBURGH — President Donald Trump announced in July that Coca-Cola would switch to cane sugar for its U.S. sodas. This followed criticism of the use of high-fructose corn syrup, which Coke currently uses as a sweetener, by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy has called high-fructose corn syrup "just a formula for making you obese and diabetic."

The announcement by the president — a famed fan of Diet Coke, which uses the artificial sweetener aspartame — was not immediately confirmed by the company. But on July 22, Coke announced that it would introduce a new beverage using cane sugar in the fall, to be sold alongside the high-fructose corn syrup product.

Vito Gerasole, head of Natrona Bottling in Harrison, Pennsylvania, feels like he has seen it all before.

Gerasole acquired the 120-year-old company after the 2008 death of the previous owner. Since its 1904 founding, the company known for Red Ribbon sodas and Jamaica's Finest Ginger Beer has used cane sugar in its beverages and has never changed.

High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper, Gerasole said, but Natrona has never considered using it. He said that cane sugar, which "comes straight from the earth," is "healthier for you" than processed high-fructose corn syrup.

"When I took over in 2010, there was a built-in ad campaign for me ... because the topic of the summer was cane sugar is better for you than high-fructose corn syrup," he said. "So it's funny to me that this conversation is coming up again."

At that time, the company saw an increase in sales because of the topic, he said. The current flurry of interest is too recent for him to gauge whether it will affect sales, he said.

A top item at food stores

Though regular Coke (not diet versions) in the U.S. does use high-fructose corn syrup, in Mexico and some European nations, the company uses cane sugar.

There are a number of Mexican food shops, restaurants and even big box stores like Target and Walmart where you can buy Mexican Coke in Pittsburgh. There seems to be a substantial underground of Mexican Coke consumers in the city.

Las Palmas Pittsburgh No. 1 in Brookline is a small neighborhood food shop that carries Mexican Coke as well as other Mexican sodas that often also use cane sugar as a sweetener.

Rocio Ribera, a cashier at the store, said that Mexican Coca-Cola is one of the most popular items — and not only with customers of Mexican origin. She herself prefers the Mexican version.

"The Mexican Coke is more rich in flavor," she said.

Ashley Weber, a manager at the Mexican specialty food store Reyna Foods in the Strip District, also feels Mexican Coke is superior.

She said she can't bring herself to order a Cuba Libre (rum and Coke) in the U.S. because she knows it won't be made with cane sugar-sweetened Coke.

Her customers, she said, may be seeking purported health advantages, or they make prefer the taste of Mexican Coke after having sampled it abroad. The fact that Mexican Coke comes in glass bottles adds a nostalgic touch.

She hasn't noticed any recent changes in sales, but says the product is "always really popular in general." On hot days, the store will sell many individual bottles out of the cooler, but it is not uncommon for people to come in to buy a case of 24, she said.

She noted that the store carries a number of sodas made with cane sugar, including colorful Mexican Jarritos sodas. These sodas are popular at this time of year, at graduation parties and weddings, Weber said.

Coke vs. Coke

In an impromptu side-by-side taste test of bottled Mexican Coke and a canned American Coke, the most noticeable difference to me was that the canned Coke was more bubbly straight out of the can. If I really concentrated, I noticed a slightly more complex taste in the Mexican Coke — maybe — and a more syrupy mouthfeel for the American beverage.

But I am not a Coke connoisseur, as apparently many people are.

When it comes to health claims, the effect of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup on the body is about the same, experts say.

They are different products, though very similar on a molecular level, explained Paige Langhals-Totino, an internist who specializes in nutrition at Allegheny Health Network.

Cane sugar is a natural sugar extracted from the sugarcane plant, she said. It is about 50% fructose and 50% glucose.

High-fructose corn syrup, on the other hand, is a liquid sweetener that comes from corn that has undergone several processes. It has been turned into corn starch, which is broken down into glucose. With further exposure to enzymes, some of the glucose is converted into fructose.

Both may be used in manufactured beverages, baked goods and other products.

"Ultimately, both are a sweetener," she said. "The way our body processes them is the same.... One is not healthier than the other."

Long term, both are associated with chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and even heart disease.

"Dietary Guidelines for Americans," issued jointly by the U.S. Health and Agriculture departments, recommends that added sugar consumption be no more than 10% of total calorie intake.

The American Heart Association's guidelines are stricter, Langhals-Totino pointed out, suggesting that added sugars (sugars that do not naturally occur in foods, like fructose in fruit) be limited to 6%. This is the approximate equivalent of 9 teaspoons of sugar for men and 6 teaspoons for women.

"Overall, the recommendation from a health standpoint is to avoid and reduce the amount of added sugars you take in regardless of where it's coming from," Langhals-Totino said.

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