Wikipedia says "For instance, soft drink makers like Coca-Cola and Pepsi use sugar in other nations, but switched to HFCS in the U.S. in 1984."

Strangely enough Coca-Cola seems to only use corn syrup in the US. Many other countries either ban or limit it's use or don't like the sticky sweet flavor.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup

The info in wikipedia is from The Great Sugar Shaft
http://www.fff.org/freedom/0498d.asp

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I will pass on the mercury. I know what it does to brain cells.

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," said the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies.

In the first study, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. The study was published in current issue of Environmental Health.

In the second study, the agriculture group found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was most common in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mercury/
http://commons.ucalgary.ca/showcase/curtains.php?src=http://apollo.ucalgary.ca/mercury/movies/Lor2_QTS_700kb_QD.mov&screenwidth=512&screenheight=400&curtains=no <--- click the link and see what mercury does to your brain cells.

the answer was given so I just added more information. hope you found it interesting.
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They moved to HFCS when they switched to "New Coke".
Source(s):
http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/newcoke.asp

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