There has been a lot of news lately about Coca-Cola being made with corn syrup as a sweetener instead of pure cane sugar. This leads to talk of the “Mexican Coke” sold in some US retailers as it does use cane sugar. It is also sold at a premium price. Many just assume that all Coca-Cola produced in Mexico uses cane sugar and that just isn’t true.
Coca-Cola Sold in Mexico
While I don’t disagree that the Coke sold as “Mexican Coke” does indeed use cane sugar and is produced in Mexico, it is the exception. My guess is that there is one bottling company that knows they can make extra profits by producing batches to be sold into the US with cane sugar. The reality is that the vast majority of Coca-Cola sold in Mexico uses corn syrup just as in the US.
I went and found two different bottles of Coke, one in plastic and one in glass and took a photo of the ingredients. You’ll see each of those images below and yes, the list is in Spanish.
Ingredients on Plastic Bottle
Ingredients on Glass Bottle
Ingredient List
The order of a couple of words varies between the two labels, but the ingredients are identical and I’ve first listed them in Spanish. You’ll also note that both labels say that it was produced in Mexico.
Agua carbonatada, azúcares añadidos (jarabe de alta fructosa y azúcar), caramelo clase IV, ácido fosfórico, saborizantes, sucralosa y cafeína.
I took that list and asked Google to translate it into English.
Carbonated water, added sugars (high fructose syrup and sugar), class IV caramel, phosphoric acid, flavorings, sucralose and caffeine.
It is made with “high fructose syrup and sugar”. Definitely not pure cane sugar. Is there someplace in Mexico where the cane sugar version can be purchased? I’m sure it could be found somewhere, but I have no idea where to look for it. Just like in the US, it would be a specialty product.
Does one or the other taste better?
Oh boy, that’s a really subjective question. I’m guessing if you put samples of each side by side that some people would choose one and some would choose the other. I have no idea if it would be a 50-50 split or if one would be clearly the preferred version.
Is there a health benefit to either version?
The short answer is no. Either version adds sugar to your system which would be considered unhealthy. Beyond that, I’ll leave the longer explanations to dieticians. The Today Show recently ran a post titled Cane Sugar Vs. High-Fructose Corn Syrup: Is One Sweetener Healthier? that explains things in more depth.
“Sugar is sugar is sugar, whether it comes from cane sugar or high-fructose corn syrup or honey,” Angel Planells, a registered dietitian in Seattle and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells TODAY.com.
“Our body processes them similarly. Overconsumption of any form can increase the risk of weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or even dental problems.”
Hopefully this clears up what Coke you’ll get in Mexico. If you choose to enjoy an ice cold Coca-Cola, just don’t overdo it.
I am curious about why Diet Coke (sold in US) and Coca Cola Light (sold in Mexico) taste so different. I prefer Coca Light.
I avoid sugar.
RFK has said, High Fructose Corn Syrup is much More Unhealthy for you than Real Sugar. So I’ve bought the bottled Mexican Coke…Now I find out it’s Corn Syrup too.
I live in Tijuana and this article is right. If you read the label, most cokes here is made with sugar (presumably cane sugar) with high fructose syrup (presumably corn syrup). I assume the labeling in the article where the glass bottle listed sugar first and then syrup after (the plastic bottles had these two ingredients in reverse order) means they use more sugar than syrup (assuming the labeling system is like America where they list the highest level of ingredients first). With that said, I did managed to find a glass bottle of Original Coke in half liter size at a local OXXO presumably with pure cane sugar. You have to look very careful at the ingredients printed on the metal cap, not on the bottle! You will see that it says added sugar (sugar). I assume sugar means cane sugar.