WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday lowered the minimum sugar-content standard for pasteurized orange juice, a regulatory change intended to let processors use more domestic citrus and reduce their reliance on higher-sugar imported juice.
The final rule lowers the required Brix level, a measure of dissolved solids that largely reflects sugar content, to 10 degrees from 10.5 degrees. It also permits pasteurized orange juice to contain as much as 15% mandarin, tangerine or related hybrid juice by volume.
The Department of Health and Human Services estimates the change will save the orange juice industry more than $50 million annually. The agency did not provide supporting calculations for that estimate.
The previous standard, established in 1963, increasingly conflicted with conditions in Florida’s citrus industry. Citrus greening disease, hurricanes, freezes and other pressures have reduced the natural Brix levels of oranges grown in the state, forcing some processors to blend domestic juice with higher-sugar imports to meet the federal requirement.
“Federal policy” needed to reflect “today’s agricultural realities,” Rep. Scott Franklin of Florida stated, citing disease, weather disruptions and rising production costs confronting growers.
The revised standard could allow a larger share of Florida oranges to enter pasteurized juice production, though the regulation does not prohibit imports or guarantee that processors will stop using foreign citrus.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized the rule as a reduction in regulatory costs and import dependence while maintaining existing safety and quality requirements.
The change follows pressure from members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Ashley Moody and Reps. Franklin, Laurel Lee and Kat Cammack. Moody introduced legislation seeking similar revisions to federal orange juice standards.
The FDA issued the rule as part of a broader review of more than 250 federal standards of identity governing the composition and labeling of foods. Such standards establish the ingredients or production requirements a product must meet to be marketed under a particular name.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.