Starting August 1, Steak ’n Shake will serve Coca-Cola with real cane sugar in glass bottles, a move aligned with President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) campaign. The announcement follows Trump’s statement that Coca-Cola has agreed to start using real cane sugar in its U.S. products.
Trump revealed the agreement through an update, thanking Coca-Cola leadership and calling the change “a very good move.” Steak ’n Shake echoed the sentiment in its announcement, declaring, “America deserves the best!” The restaurant chain has previously supported the MAHA agenda by switching to beef tallow for frying, rejecting industrial seed oils.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also championed food quality reforms. He recently reported that 35 percent of the American food industry has committed to removing artificial dyes. This includes major food manufacturers and now dairy producers, following commitments from the International Dairy Foods Association.
Kennedy credited the administration’s push for cleaner food since taking office, stating that these efforts are transforming the U.S. food landscape. He emphasized that this new 35 percent commitment adds to the 35 percent of the food industry already using organic, chemical-free ingredients.
The shift to real cane sugar is positioned as a health-conscious alternative to high-fructose corn syrup, which has long been used in mainstream sodas. While some critics argue the nutritional difference is minor, the move carries symbolic weight in a broader campaign to improve American food standards.
Coca-Cola has not formally confirmed a full transition across all U.S. products but has acknowledged the ongoing discussions. Steak ’n Shake’s offering of bottled cane sugar Coke represents one of the first visible adoptions of the new direction.
This development reinforces the MAHA agenda’s influence across industries, from fast food to beverage giants. It also shows how corporate decisions are being reshaped by consumer demand for higher-quality, less processed ingredients, spurred by leadership from the White House.
