Coca-Cola Tweaked Its Formula in the US: Should Arab Consumers Be Worried?

In an interesting twist, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 16, 2025, that Coca-Cola had agreed to use real cane sugar in its formula within the United States.

This came after years of relying on high-fructose corn syrup, a substance medically linked to rising obesity and heart disease.

The bigger irony is that Trump himself had called Coca-Cola “garbage” over a decade ago, only to praise it later for what he called a “health transformation.”

Although the company hasn’t officially confirmed the change, Trump’s remarks have reignited attention on what is considered one of the most controversial consumer products globally.

In the Arab World

Outside the U.S., especially in the Arab world, the debate about Coca-Cola’s formula and its effects has been delayed, if not completely ignored.

Coca-Cola entered the Middle East early, with its first bottling plant opening in Egypt in 1944, the company’s first presence in the region, followed by expansions into the Gulf, Levant, and North Africa.

Gradually, Coca-Cola became more than just a soft drink; it became part of daily life for millions of Arabs, accompanying meals, served at celebrations, and marketed as a symbol of vitality and openness.

But after nearly 80 years of widespread presence, it’s time to ask the long-overdue question: What health consequences has this American product left behind in our societies?

In a region with some of the world’s highest rates of obesity and diabetes, and where soft drink consumption is alarmingly high, especially in Gulf countries, it is no longer possible to ignore the data linking these habits to chronic diseases and early deaths.

While the U.S., Europe, and some countries in Central and South America are reviewing these drinks’ ingredients and adjusting production policies and taxes, Arab markets remain largely unregulated, with little accountability or action matching the scale of the threat.

Could Trump’s statement be the right moment to reconsider one of the region’s most consumed and impactful products?

In the Middle East, especially the Gulf region, drinks like Coca-Cola are consumed at an alarming rate, in environments where obesity and diabetes rates are reaching unprecedented levels.

In the Arab world and the Middle East, total consumption of packaged soft drinks, including Coca-Cola, reached about 118 billion liters in 2023, according to Mordor Intelligence.

World of Statistics reported on December 27, 2023, that Saudi Arabia ranks among the top 15 countries worldwide for soft drink consumption.

Per capita consumption ranges from 89 to 103 liters annually, about 225 milliliters daily, and Saudi Arabia ranks fourth globally in calories consumed from soft drinks.

A study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine on August 10, 2024, looked at soft drink consumption among teenagers in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, using national data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey.

It found that in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, between 10% and 27% of teenagers consume soft drinks more than three times a day, with Qatar having the highest rate.

Even more concerning, the study revealed that 72% of pre-teen children in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait drink soft drinks at least once daily.

A Sick Generation

These numbers are not just consumption indicators—they’re early health warning signs. According to a 2022 World Health Organization report, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain rank among the highest worldwide for adult obesity rates, exceeding 35%.

Saudi Arabia alone has a childhood obesity rate of about 18%.

A study published in the American journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in October 2021 found that over 17% of Saudi adults suffer from type 2 diabetes, a disease strongly linked to the consumption of sugary drinks and soft beverages.

Supporting this, a large study published in 2015 in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, showed that drinking just one soda daily increases the risk of developing diabetes by 26%.

It also doubles the risk of early death from heart disease and stroke by 20–30%, meaning that the cold “Coca-Cola” can, often seen as a symbol of refreshment, is a ticking health time bomb.

In a notable development, the Daily Mail broke a new story on February 1, 2025, about Coca-Cola’s product safety, after the company announced the recall of many bottles from European markets.

This was due to high levels of a chemical called “chlorates,” which result from the breakdown of chlorine-based disinfectants used in water treatment.

Although Coca-Cola said the health risks were “extremely low,” health experts warned against downplaying these incidents, pointing out that regular consumption of soft drinks, whether sugary or sugar-free, carries a long list of health risks.

Recent warnings link sugary drinks directly to rising obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, osteoporosis, and even liver and heart damage.

As for sugar-free sodas, marketed as “safer,” research suggests they may not be better. They can increase sugar cravings, worsening weight problems.

Some ingredients, like artificial aspartame and stevia, have been linked to severe diarrhea and poor nutrient absorption, according to a 2022 study by Johns Hopkins University.

Like other sodas, Coca-Cola contains phosphoric acid, which is used to increase acidity and prevent bacterial growth.

However, an Australian study published in the journal Nutrients found that excessive intake of this acid can leach calcium from bones, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and skeletal weakness.

The study also found that daily soda drinkers face twice the risk of bone fractures compared to non-drinkers.

High Risks

On the heart health front, a 2023 study by the American Heart Association revealed that regular soda consumption leads to a 98% drop in good cholesterol (HDL).

It also increases triglycerides by 53%, a dangerous change that doubles the risk of coronary heart disease.

Liver-related warnings are even more alarming. Women who drink a sugary soda daily face an 85% higher risk of liver cancer and a 68% greater risk of dying from liver disease compared to those who rarely consume these drinks.

Even teeth aren’t spared. Experts, cited by the Daily Mail, warn that the high acidity in sodas erodes tooth enamel and raises cavity rates, whether the product is sugary or diet.

More worryingly, the World Health Organization has classified aspartame, the most commonly used artificial sweetener in sugar-free sodas, as a “possible carcinogen,” raising serious questions about the safety of these alternatives flooding Arab markets with little oversight.

While many countries are taking serious legislative and tax measures against soft drinks, Arab nations, especially in the Gulf, are clearly lagging behind despite rising health issues linked to these beverages.

In the U.S., sugar taxes have gained momentum in cities like Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

The UK introduced a tiered soft drink tax in April 2018: 18 pence per liter for drinks with 5 grams of sugar per 100 ml, rising to 24 pence if sugar exceeds 8 grams.

Ireland followed suit in May 2018, while France had implemented and increased such taxes earlier, raising rates in July 2018 up to 20 euros per 100 liters for drinks with more than 11 grams of sugar.

In Chile and Mexico, which introduced similar taxes in 2014, health reports show promising results. A 2017 study by Mexico’s National Institute of Public Health found soda consumption dropped 5.5% in the first year and 9.7% in the second year after the tax.

Despite these international successes, Arab countries, with their high obesity and diabetes rates, have not followed the same path.

Popular social media campaigns like the May 2020 hashtag #SodasAreKillingUs have warned about these drinks and called for government action.

Yet health authorities remain silent or hesitant, with no clear reform efforts similar to those seen elsewhere.