By Philissa Cramer
A uniquely American Passover tradition could become a thing of the past after President Donald Trump recently announced he successfully pressed the Coca-Cola Company to change the formulation of its signature drink in the United States.
“I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, on Wednesday, July 16. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!”
Such a change would obviate Coca-Cola’s special runs for Passover — and the fervent searches that some kosher-keeping Jews undertake to secure the scarce “yellow-cap” bottles of Coke that result.
For the last four decades, Coke in the United States has been made with corn syrup, a sweetener reviled by many health advocates, including those who are part of the pro-Trump “MAHA” movement. But corn is not considered kosher-for-Passover according to Ashkenazi tradition, practiced by the vast majority of kosher-keeping American Jews.
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.
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 populations.
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.
If Coca-Cola begins using the same corn syrup-free formulation all year long, special runs will no longer be needed for Passover.
The Atlanta-based company did not immediately confirm the change that Trump announced but posted an oblique statement on its website.
“We appreciate President Trump’s enthusiasm for our iconic Coca‑Cola brand,” it said. “More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca‑Cola product range will be shared soon.”
The company also replied to some social media posts about Trump’s announcement to rebut the idea that cane-sugar Coke tastes better or is healthier.
While the anti-corn syrup push could ease conditions for kosher-keeping Jews, some of the MAHA movement’s other ambitions could introduce complications.
Changes to milk testing earlier this year briefly ignited concerns about whether the FDA’s 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.
Phlissa Cramer is the editor-in-chief of the JTA global Jewish news source.
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