Orange Juice Rule Becomes Reality

A proposed change that's been in the works for nearly a year is now official. Federal regulators have finalized an update to the standard for pasteurized orange juice, a move Florida's citrus industry says will allow more Florida oranges to qualify for pasteurized orange juice production.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a final rule updating the federal Standard of Identity for pasteurized orange juice, lowering the minimum Brix level, a measurement of natural sugar content, from 10.5 to 10. The rule updates a federal standard first established in 1963 and finalizes a proposal the FDA released last year.

The Florida Department of Citrus says the change allows more Florida oranges to qualify for pasteurized orange juice production while reducing the need for imported higher-Brix juice to meet the previous federal requirement. The department says the update will not change the taste, quality, safety or nutritional value of 100% orange juice.

The department says the decision reflects years of collaboration among growers, processors and industry organizations responding to changing growing conditions caused by citrus greening. Florida Citrus Commission member Daniel Hunt says the final rule gives growers who have continued investing in new trees and research greater confidence in passing their groves on to the next generation.