'It’s Tough': FDA Considers Lowering Orange Juice Sweetness as Florida Growers Struggle

'It’s tough': FDA considers lowering orange juice sweetness as Florida growers struggle

In the heart of Florida, orange groves once told stories of abundance and prosperity. Today, they tell a story of struggle and survival.Pam Fentress knows that firsthand. She grew up working in her familys grove in Lake Placid, which her grandfather had started in 1964. At its peak, Lost Lake Groves spanned 1,500 acres. Now, it is down to just 12 acres of high-density orange trees she is still trying to nurture, even as the land goes up for sale…

HealthCast: FDA proposes change to pasteurized orange juice standards

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a change to pasteurized orange juice standards that the Florida Citrus Processors Association had petitioned. The proposed change announced in August is related to Brix, a unit of measurement used in the food industry to measure the approximate amount of sugar in fruit.The FDA established the 10.5% Brix level standard in 1963 and proposed lowering it to 10% since “the Brix level for Florida oranges …