Oh, that's rich — we're supposed to feel sorry for the folks who make high fructose corn syrup.
July 17, 2025
"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."
Said John Bode, head of the Corn Refiners Association, quoted in "Trump's Coke push will cost thousands of farm jobs, corn group warns" (Axios).
Posts
74 comments:
I'm no expert - but I was told once that sugar is sugar, the body does not really discern the differences.
Hawaii got rid of much its sugar growing.
People are drinking way too much soda. That's the real problem.
Drink water, everyone. Oh! But the corn industry!
That poor guy has a rough job, doing PR for HFCS.
Was it here, that I read about how pervasive corn is, in the world's diet? I try not to consume anything with HFCS in it. And I think the corn subsidies are out of control to begin with, making fuel out of food is purely crazy.
Althouse FTW. No HFCS...no sugar...porque NON los dos!
You know what would tragically cost the food industry a huge amount of money? If people stopped way overeating.
And I don't like corn in my gasoline. Get that out.
It is time for big corn to be put down.
Corn is poison much the same way wheat is.
Corn and wheat fields need to be converted to livestock of various ruminant species. It is better for humans and for the environment.
The average size of farm would necessarily be reduced.
Diabetics don’t eat corn. Corn is a filler, not a nutrient.
And I hate it my gas.
“in”
Corn in my salad, corn in my gasoline, but no corn in my music.
Take the corn out of Tex-Mex and there's no much left. Its basically meat, corn, rice and beans.
“And I hate it my gas.”
Don’t hate it, Humperdink… EXPEL IT!!!
Humperdink, it's the beans that are in your gas, not the corn. Corn famously passes right through you.
Is there a word for coming up with diversionary excuses for obesity and bad health so feelings don't get hurt? Like red herting or something?
RED HERRING
Crystalline structures. Refined, concentrated. A little inflammation. Here comes the cholesterol et al.
A lower fuel economy, a seal without borders. Go Green.
That said, a little corn on the cob is not bad. Pehaps some cornbread.
Fat is patriotic.
I remember Centennial by James Michener spending a lot of space on beet sugar production. I read it when I was in high school. I never hear about beet sugar anywhere else. Maybe the corn syrup folks could become beet people. Is there a problem with sugar beets. And maybe cane sugar could make a comeback in Hawaii. In looking I just found out that the C in C&H sugar is California. Well, bring sugar back to California, almonds are out of fashion anyhow.
The corn lobb
Yah the corn subsidy is a remnant of when Iowa mattered so every candidate needed to kowtow. We could stop…
I don't know why I wrote the corn lobb, but I can't edit it now. Editing fragment I guess. This topic does remind me of the Matt Damon movie The Informant! which is a fun movie absolutely shaped by its Marvin Hamlisch soundtrack. It's about an ADM price-fixing scandal, which showed what a racket these agribusinesses are.
Lobb the corn!
Whatever your thoughts on corn, Trump accomplished this without executive orders or legislation or agency fiat - he simply persuaded Coca-Cola. There is a lot to be said for that.
Now's the time to dump the corn subsidies and omnipresent additive status. In the past Iowa was a factor, but are they willing to choose Newsom in 2028 because of such loss? I think not.
"Whatever your thoughts on corn, Trump accomplished this without executive orders or legislation or agency fiat - he simply persuaded Coca-Cola."
I'm sure Iowa farmers will feel consoled with this knowledge as their farms are auctioned off on their way to the polls in the mid-terms.
Donald Trump is a fucking idiot and a disaster for the Republican brand.
Legendary.
"I don't like corn in my gasoline. Get that out."
This is why we shouldn't let women vote, even if they're 21.
Ethanol (made from corn) is merely alcohol, a clear colorless flammable liquid no different chemically from the alcohol content in a Bud Light. It is the best renewable resource that we could possibly farm.
It saves 9 billion gallons of gasoline each year in the United States.
For the record, I also am against putting Bud Light into my cars and small gasoline powered engines.
Corn (or the land used to grow it) is wasted as vehicle fuel. It is artificially cheap (in that application) due to treatment in law. And THAT is the result of emergency legislation intended as a stop gap for the 1970s-80s petroleum crisis (also created by silly laws). Electricity is a far better fuel substitute, given rational treatment of power generation, which is another problem. Its all about stupid government policy as a band aid for other stupid policies.
Just curious, and an honest, non-snarky question, why can't Iowa and similar situation farmers grow other crops? I know the system is currently set up for corn, but that's not all that can grow that is just what currently makes the most money. Is the demand for other Iowa possible crops so low as to prevent more diversifying? Looks like wheat and oats were big crops historically, but could there be others that set up farmers better for future needs/desires?
I'm a Californian, with 4 of the first 6 generation before me being farmers, some of whom left Iowa for the better land here. So I'm genuinely curious.
"People are drinking way too much soda. That's the real problem." - True. Its a worse habit than smoking. More costs over time and a greater hit on productivity.
The in-laws in IA grow corn, also soybeans and…flaxseed maybe?
My understanding is that independent bottlers get to decide which to use, so unless the economics change for them not happening.
The hardest hit will be taco joints selling Mexican Coca-Cola. Going to lose that premium add on.
Ann Althouse said...
"I don't like corn in my gasoline. Get that out."
FormerLawClerk said...
"This is why we shouldn't let women vote, even if they're 21."
This is why free speech is a good thing - it allows ignorant bigoted statements like this to be brought out into the sunlight so we can drive a stake through it and make it die.
- Despite being heavily subsidized, ethanol tends to cost more than regular gasoline.
- The mileage will drop 5-30% depending upon the vehicle.
- It will have a lot more waste heat. It will be more efficient at higher revs, though.
- Ethanol loves water and will suck it up whenever possible. This is bad for fuel lines and engine parts. Flex fuel cars have special parts to help mitigate this, though.
- Making ethanol is very wasteful and not environmentally friendly.
This does not apply to Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi, for that matter.
Because those have artificial sweeteners?
Readering said...
My understanding is that independent bottlers get to decide which to use, so unless the economics change for them not happening.
From direct experience working in a Coca-Cola bottling plant in high school, ALL coke syrup concentrate comes from one source. All the bottler does is put the correct amount of syrup in each bottle and then add the correct amount of carbonated water. The idea is to have no variation from bottler to bottler.
It's corn vs cane.
My understanding is that the problem with HFCS consumption is less as a sweetener where it really doesn't do anything different than sugar but how it functions as an oil substitute in other foods. Remember that the 'S' stands for Syrup which means HFCS has a similar mouth-feel as vegetable oils or animal fats. If you look at almost any 'non-fat' product that traditionally uses oils as a base like salad dressing you see high amounts of carbs from HFCS. Some of this effect, as well as the effect consumption of low-calorie sweeteners may have on our metabolism, bleeds into the cane sugar vs HFCS debate in soda which seems to me to be mostly a matter of taste.
The corn grower guy getting wee-wee'd up over the change is mostly likely not because HFCS is going to be banned in anyway but that people will start to avoid other products containing it.
Corn farming requires several times the nitrogen of other crops. It's amazing it hasn't exhausted the soil like tobacco does. Phasing out the ethanol subsidies and mandates sounds like a good idea now that the news and Sunday shows ADM sponsored are no longer important.
Los Alamitos, the O.C. town I lived in for 3rd grade, began as a sugar beet processing factory. That's probably the only reason I've heard of sugar beets.
I doubt the cost of switching sweeteners will affect the price of Coke very much - the ingredients are a minute fraction of the cost of the thing. If it makes the drink more expensive, that's fine. Americans drink more of it than is healthy, and we consume too many over-processed and sweetened calories.
It won't affect me in any way as I haven't had a 'real' Coke in decades. As for the farmers - again, I doubt that Coke's switch will make much (if any) difference in crop choices. But maybe someone more knowledgeable can convince me that this will be a catastrophe for the Farm Belt.
Sugar beets are big in Michigan, grown around Saginaw and Bay City in some of the best farmland in the US.
Cargill owns the US Senate
"Corn farming requires several times the nitrogen of other crops."
Because of this, no corn farmer exclusively grows corn. They alternate the crop with soybeans, which deposit nitrogen into the soil that the corn then uses to grow.
Corn yields continue to increase. Was about 40 bu/ac in the 1950's. Currently pushing 180 bu/ac. Even on a smaller amount of land, total production increased substantially. got to do something with it.
Dwight Shrute hardest hit (via Wikipedia):
"The Spreckels Sugar Company is an American sugar beet refiner that for many years was the largest beet sugar producer in the western United States. The company was incorporated and originally headquartered in San Francisco, with its largest operation being its beet sugar refinery in the company town of Spreckels, near Salinas, California. It has operated seven more factory locations during its years of operations. As of 2025, the company is still in business as a sugar wholesaler to the food and beverage industry and is a wholly-owned division of the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC). It has one remaining factory, located in the Imperial Valley town of Brawley, California, where the company is also headquartered. In 2025, SMBSC announced that they would be closing the Brawley factory during the following year and shutting down its Spreckels Sugar division."
Ann Althouse said...
"I don't like corn in my gasoline. Get that out."
FormerLawClerk said...
"This is why we shouldn't let women vote, even if they're 21.
Ethanol (made from corn) is merely alcohol, a clear colorless flammable liquid no different chemically from the alcohol content in a Bud Light. It is the best renewable resource that we could possibly farm.”
@Former Law Clerk. You clearly do not own a chain saw, power washer or gas powered weed eater. Ethanol has a significantly negative effect on these machines. My chain saw dealer spends most of his time replacing carburetors.
I hope you’re a “former” law clerk because of your arrogance.
I live in Iowa, the #1 corn producing state. A relatively small portion of Iowa's corn crop is used to produce high fructose corn syrup. Less than 4% of the corn grown in Iowa is processed into sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. The vast majority of Iowa's corn is used for other purposes, such as livestock feed, and 62% of it is converted into ethanol as fuel. So as an Iowan I don't care whether Coke is made from high fructose corn syrup or cane syrup. It is all junk food, and if I were in charge it would be taxed like alcohol and tobacco, since obesity is the #1 cause of disease and death in America. In the summer I drink water and iced tea without sugar, with just some lemon. (OK, I also enjoy a good IPA or two or three when I have a barbecue.)
My two brothers used to race cars and trucks. The best fuel by far was pure ethanol. When it ignites you blast out of the starting gate like a rocket. The downside was that it was invisible, so if your vehicle caught fire, you wouldn't see the flames. That's why you always wore fire retardant clothing.
Howzabout feeling sorry for the hundreds of folks who make Red Dye No. 2 and the other artificial dyes in our food---or for the tobacco farmers who haven't been growing much tobacco for the last 40 years.
"tommyesq said...
Whatever your thoughts on corn, Trump accomplished this without executive orders or legislation or agency fiat - he simply persuaded Coca-Cola. There is a lot to be said for that."
Epstein files. Case solved.
Trump's Coke push will cost thousands of corn jobs
Will no one think of the children!
Sugar Coke > Corn Coke. Another win for Trump.
Where to begin. Coke is toxic, whether made with USDA-subsidized poisonous sugar or USDA-subsidized toxic HFCS. Maybe they will stop paying for it with USDA food stamps.
Most iowa corn becomes either
ethanol
or
pork (mmmm!)
it's been interesting reading some of your comments..
i can tell most of you have NO CLUE
"Replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar would cost thousands of American food manufacturing jobs..."
If food manufacturers could eliminate thousands of jobs (it costs money to pay people to do those jobs, after all) by substituting sugar for HFCS, they'd already have done it.
@Humperdink: "...Ethanol has a significantly negative effect on these machines. ..."
Yeah, it's awful hard on anything that isn't run every day or two. But many Walmarts have a Murphy USA gas station on the grounds, and quite a few of these have a 'no ethanol' gasoline option, usually just a single pump. That's where I fill up the jerry cans for the equipment.
I don't read Trump to say that Coke will necessarily be changing its entire production over to sugar. They'll do a special limited run of OG Sugar Coke alongside regular corn Coke to see how consumers respond.
It would have been simpler to stop subsidizing corn.
Seems kind of ironic that Coca Cola started using corn syrup because of tariffs on imported sugar and subsidies on local corn production, and now the Tariff King wants to undo the effects of tariffs.
What this article fails to mention is that the massive trade protection given to US (mostly Florida) sugar cane farmers has led to high sugar prices and to subsidized corn syrup being used in processed food.
Maybe this shift by Coca Cola will encourage Trump to open up the US sugar market to imports?
Papaw grew sugar cane here in East Tennessee. At harvest time the whole family showed up to grind and cook the cane down to make molasses. He used a mule on the grinding mill. I grew up on pinto beans and cornbread covered in those molasses.
Rabel said...
“Trump's Coke push will cost thousands of corn jobs. Will no one think of the children!”
Ok, Gavin Newsom. Not every farmer uses children in the fields.
lonejustice said...
“My two brothers used to race cars and trucks. The best fuel by far was pure ethanol. When it ignites you blast out of the starting gate like a rocket. The downside was that it was invisible, so if your vehicle caught fire, you wouldn't see the flames. That's why you always wore fire retardant clothing.”
Racing is the one place where ethanol makes sense. You’re revving the engine up where ethanol works best; the higher octane rating allows you to run higher compression than you would otherwise; the cooler burning means you don’t need as much inter cooling to control heat on your turbo or super charger(s). And don’t have to worry about the downsides like you would in your normal street car, especially if you’re rebuilding the engine every so often. Except for for the greater greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing the stuff.
How about stopping the sugar price supports? Then it would probably be competitive or cheaper than HFCS. Problem solved. While we're at it, get rid of the subsidies for corn production. Too bad for the corn industry. They can do something else with all that land.
Poor Ex-lawclerk - afraid his Twinkies won't taste the same.
When I moved from a blue state that required 10% ethanol in the gasoline to a red state that required none the mpg of my F150 increased by 10%.
And you can't make a decent rum 'n coke with sugar free coke.
Trumpa Cola would be a big seller.
Bigger than Billy Beer.
Is cane sugar any better than corn syrup? We use cane sugar here almost exclusively, and it gets bagged constantly.
It's crazy, in my humble opinion, to combine food production and energy production technologies. That's certain to result at some point in having to choose between them: are people going to starve or freeze, for example? Producing ethanol for energy from corn has certainly boosted the price of corn worldwide, which in turn has starved people to death—maybe not in America, but somewhere—already, not hypothetically someday.
I asked Grok to comment and got this:
I agree with your take—it's a risky gamble to entwine food and energy systems so tightly, as history shows it can force brutal trade-offs. The push for corn-based ethanol in the US, driven by policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard, has indeed diverted massive amounts of corn from food and feed uses to fuel, spiking global prices and exacerbating hunger in vulnerable regions.
For instance, by consuming around 40% of the US corn harvest, ethanol production has been linked to corn price increases of up to 21%, which ripple through international markets and hit developing countries hard, contributing to food crises and even starvation in places like Mexico and sub-Saharan Africa.
This isn't just theoretical; the 2007-2008 food price spike, partly fueled by biofuel mandates, led to riots and increased malnutrition worldwide, and similar dynamics played out again in 2022 amid supply disruptions.
While proponents argue the food price impact is minimal in wealthy nations (since corn's value is a small slice of retail costs), that doesn't erase the human toll elsewhere.
Bottom line: prioritizing sustainable alternatives like cellulosic biofuels or advanced tech could avoid pitting bellies against gas tanks. Go ahead and post your comment—it's spot on.
{/unQuote}
Meanwhile, we massively interfere with the markets to artificially increase the price of sugar in order to restrict its supply and to favor corn syrup. From the USDA website:
"The U.S. sugar program uses domestic marketing allotments, tariff-rate quotas (TRQs), and high out-of-quota tariffs to restrict the amount of sugar available to the U.S. market. In conjunction with market price support, the program also supports U.S. sugar prices, which are usually well above comparable prices in the world market. The current structure of the program originated with the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (1981 Farm Bill)."
There's a reason why the rest of the world uses regular sugar in its soft drinks instead of corn syrup. Here in the US, we get a double whammy by subsidizing corn syrup while propping up the price of sugar.
Sorry - I forgot to include a link in the previous comment.
Has Coca-Cola confirmed exactly what they've agreed to vis-a-vis Trump's claim on cane sugar?
I’d put money on this being what happened:
Coke was testing a cane sugar formulation for the US market/broader distribution of Mexican Coke but got fucked by the Brazil tariffs as Brazil is the #1 sugarcane exporter. They reached out to the administration about tariffs.
Trump got wind of it, granted a tariff exemption and went on to gloat that he convinced them to bring back cane sugar - something they were already planning.
It will be a different, more expensive product and not a reformulation of HFCS Coke Classic.
"Oh, that's rich — we're supposed to feel sorry for the folks who make high fructose corn syrup."
What's stopping them from growing sugar cane?
There aren't any direct cash government subsidies for growing sugar cane.
Post a Comment
Please use the comments forum to respond to the post. Don't fight with each other. Be substantive... or interesting... or funny. Comments should go up immediately... unless you're commenting on a post older than 2 days. Then you have to wait for us to moderate you through. It's also possible to get shunted into spam by the machine. We try to keep an eye on that and release the miscaught good stuff. We do delete some comments, but not for viewpoint... for bad faith.