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Non-profit calls on Trump administration to support sugar reduction

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is calling on the US government to create policies that focus on less sugar, not different sugar.

In July, President Donald Trump made headlines by announcing that Coca-Cola would start sweetening its products with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.

The switch, celebrated by Secretary Kennedy as a win, was met with a post on Truth Social from Trump that read: “This will be a very good move by them – you’ll see. It’s just better!”

Following the endorsement, the CSPI called on the Trump administration to lower the amount of sugar in food and drink formulations rather than opting for alternative sugars.

“Cane sugar may suit the President’s taste, but nutrition scientists widely agree that swapping one type of sugar for another will do nothing to improve health,” it said.

Embracing a new healthy food supply

On 24 July, the CSPI wrote to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to highlight various policies that would make real progress in lowering added sugars in the American diet.

“We believe that the Trump administration should exercise its authority to help Americans consume less sugar, not different sugar,” Alla Hill, senior science policy associate for the CSPI, told Ingredients Network.

Research findings indicate that most consumers across all age groups routinely consume high amounts of added sugars considerably above the recommended intake limit.

In 2025, the FDA updated its definition of “healthy”, placing limits on added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. The agency now requires food contents to contain a minimum amount of recommended food groups and sub-groups like vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein foods, and whole grains, which contain various nutrients.

Healthier alternatives and better-for-you categories are growing in the US as part of manufacturers’ drive towards balancing consumers’ want for permissible indulgence with healthfulness.

“Consuming excessive amounts of added sugar in foods sweetened with corn syrup is just as harmful to one’s health as consuming excessive amounts of added sugar in foods sweetened with cane sugar, honey, maple syrup, or any other added sugar,” said Hill.

To date, the FDA has not yet published its regulatory agenda, yet available insights do signal the FDA’s removal of its sugar reduction actions. The agency published its updated FDA Foods Program Guidance Under Development, which no longer lists a project spearheading the definition of low added sugar claims.

Recommendations for reducing added sugar

In its letter, the CSPI wrote to the FDA proposing seven strategies for the agency to adopt to lower the amount of added sugar in the US food and drink sector. The aim, underpinning these recommendations, is to empower consumers with information to make healthy choices, combating misleading marketing and improving the US food supply’s healthfulness.

“We want to ensure that the Secretary is aware of all the actionable policy options available to his agency, especially as he is engaged in developing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission 100-day report, which is expected to include the Commission’s recommended strategies to improve US children’s health,” said Hill.

The CSPI wants the US government to establish added sugar reduction targets for packaged and restaurant food that are similar to the FDA’s existing sodium reduction targets. Through its sodium feedback loop, the FDA establishes sodium targets, monitors the food supply, evaluates progress towards targets, and engages with stakeholders.

The CSPI is also calling for the Trump administration to mandate front-of-package nutrition labels that highlight when foods are high in added sugar. It also recommends that the administration adopts definitions for “low added sugar” claims and take enforcement action to prevent claims like “lightly sweetened” and “less sweet” on products high in added sugar.

The non-profit also wants US leaders to tackle misleading marketing relating to toddler formulas, which contain added sugar and are not recommended for younger children.

From a manufacturing perspective, the CSPI wants to see the Trump administration encourage companies to label their foods as “healthy” when they meet the FDA’s newly updated definition. The CSPI wants to ensure food shoppers can access complete and transparent nutrition and ingredient information when buying groceries online.