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<\/a><\/p>\nJewish women enjoying a Passover meal in Florida in 2012 made sure to have corn syrup-free, yellow-cap Coke on their table. (Courtesy Danielle Elkins)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, on Wednesday. \u201cI\u2019d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them \u2014 You\u2019ll see. It\u2019s just better!\u201d<\/p>\n
Such a change would obviate Coca-Cola\u2019s special runs for Passover \u2014 and the fervent searches that some kosher-keeping Jews undertake to secure the scarce \u201cyellow-cap\u201d bottles of Coke that result.<\/p>\n
For the last four decades, Coke in the United States has been made with corn syrup, a sweetener that is reviled by many health advocates, including those who are part of the pro-Trump \u201cMAHA\u201d movement. But corn is not considered kosher for Passover according to Ashkenazi tradition, that practiced by the vast majority of kosher-keeping American Jews.<\/p>\n
So every year, the company has produced a kosher-for-Passover run of Coke made with cane sugar lest kosher-keeping Jews have to forgo the soda for the eight-day holiday.<\/p>\n
The kosher-for-Passover bottles, which are prominently labeled as such but also come with distinctive yellow caps, become a hot commodity in some communities each spring. Not only kosher-keeping Jews but also those with a taste for the corn syrup-free sodas manufactured abroad hunt down the yellow-cap bottles in regions where they are distributed, typically those with large Orthodox Jewish populations.<\/p>\n
In recent years, with the rise of TikTok, the appeal of yellow-cap Coke has gone viral. Last year, influencers urged their followers to stock up on the kosher-for-Passover Cokes and traded tips about where to find the scarce bottles.<\/p>\n
If Coca-Cola begins using the same corn syrup-free formulation all year long, special runs will no longer be needed for Passover.<\/p>\n
The company did not immediately confirm the change that Trump announced but posted an oblique statement on its website. \u201cWe appreciate President Trump\u2019s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca\u2011Cola brand,\u201d it said. \u201cMore details on new innovative offerings within our Coca\u2011Cola product range will be shared soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company also replied to some social media posts about Trump\u2019s announcement to rebut the idea that cane-sugar Coke tastes better or is healthier.<\/p>\n
While the anti-corn syrup push could ease conditions for kosher-keeping Jews, some of the MAHA movement\u2019s other ambitions could introduce complications. Changes to milk testing earlier this year briefly ignited concerns about whether the FDA\u2019s practices would still fall in line with a key determination of Jewish law, while an effort to end the use of synthetic food dyes could result in the wider use of dyes that are not kosher. Under pressure from the Trump administration, many U.S. ice cream producers announced on Monday that they would phase out synthetic food dyes by 2028.<\/p>\n