Will Coke, Pepsi drop high-fructose corn syrup for good from high-selling sodas?

Dubai: First it was zero sugar. Now it’s cane sugar. But the real question buzzing among everyday soda drinkers: Will Coca-Cola and Pepsi finally ditch high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) altogether?

This week, both beverage giants announced new drinks sweetened with cane sugar—a move some interpreted as a major shift away from the syrupy standard that’s been in U.S. sodas since the 1980s. The reality? It’s more complicated—and, for many health-conscious Americans, kind of beside the point.

Pepsi just unveiled a new product: Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, a fizzy newcomer with cane sugar, only 30 calories, and a gut-boosting 3 grams of prebiotic fiber. It'll be available in Original and Cherry Vanilla online this fall and in stores early next year.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola confirmed that it will launch a cane sugar version of its signature soda in the U.S. this fall. This came after former President Donald Trump claimed on social media that the company had agreed to “go back to real sugar.” Not quite. Coke clarified the new version will not replace the HFCS-sweetened original—it will coexist as an option.

So no, your classic Coke isn’t changing just yet. But a growing trend is clear: people are tired of mystery sweeteners—and even more tired of sugar altogether.

Despite all the buzz, nutrition experts say the cane sugar vs. HFCS debate misses a bigger shift: most people just want to drink less sugar, period.

Whether it’s made from corn or cane, a sugary drink is still... well, sugar. “From a health standpoint, there’s not much difference between them,” says Marion Nestle, nutrition expert and professor emeritus at NYU. “They’re both sugars, with similar calories and similar effects on the body.”

That hasn’t stopped brands from marketing “real sugar” as a more natural, retro-sounding alternative. But it’s zero sugar sodas—like Coke Zero Sugar and Pepsi Zero Sugar—that are actually growing the fastest. Coke Zero, for example, saw 14% global volume growth earlier this year, while classic Coke sales stayed flat.

This shift reflects a growing health consciousness among consumers—especially younger ones—who scan labels, count grams of sugar, and are turning to beverages like Olipop and Poppi, which blend fizz with fiber and barely any sugar.

Even traditional sodas are getting in on the “functional beverage” game. Pepsi’s new prebiotic cola is just the latest entry into the gut health trend, signaling a clear shift: fizzy drinks now have to do something beyond taste sweet.

According to PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta, the brand will “follow consumer preferences” on sugar. Coke CEO James Quincey echoed that, saying the company is “using the full toolkit” of sweetening options.

So yes, cane sugar is coming—but no, it’s not a revolution. If anything, it’s a reflection of a larger transformation in how we think about soda. Americans aren’t just swapping one sugar for another. Increasingly, they’re leaving sugar behind altogether.

Don’t expect Coke or Pepsi to ditch HFCS overnight. The U.S. simply doesn’t produce enough cane sugar, and sourcing more could cause prices to spike. But we can expect more choices: more zero-sugar drinks, more health-forward cans, and yes, maybe the occasional nostalgic glass bottle with “real sugar.”

But here’s the truth: the sweetener wars might already be over. And zero might have won.