Health Secretary Announces New Orange Juice Standards
The rule is expected to save manufacturers about $52.3 million a year and reduce reliance on imported citrus, officials said.
- On Friday, the FDA announced a new regulation lowering the minimum Brix sugar content for pasteurized orange juice from 10.5 percent to 10 percent, with officials in Lakeland stating the move advances the "America First" agenda.
- Severe weather and citrus greening disease reduced Brix levels in domestic fruit, forcing manufacturers to import higher-Brix juice from countries like Brazil to meet previous federal standards.
- The FDA also increased the allowable share of hybrid citrus varieties from 10 percent to 15 percent, while HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the policy supports the "Make America Healthy Again" initiative to bolster domestic production.
- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody praised the change, stating, "Today is proof that the juice was worth the squeeze," and the FDA estimates the rule could produce annualized manufacturer savings of about $52.3 million.
- Although the rule allows lower-Brix juice, the FDA expects the nutritional value and taste to remain unchanged; officials have not confirmed when consumers will see these newly standardized bottles on grocery store shelves.
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FDA lowers orange juice sugar standard — officials say it will boost Florida citrus - The Mexico Ledger
Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody speaking in Lakeland on July 17, 2026, with HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy (left) and U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee and Kat Cammack and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)LAKELAND — Florida’s once thriving citrus industry has declined precipitously over the past two decades, but state agriculture officials believe the downward trajectory may have plateaued, and exp…
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FDA lowers orange juice sugar standard — officials say it will boost Florida citrus
Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody speaking in Lakeland on July 17, 2026, with HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy (left) and U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee and Kat Cammack and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)LAKELAND — Florida’s once thriving citrus industry has declined precipitously over the past two decades, but state agriculture officials believe the downward trajectory may have plateaued, and exp…
Florida leaders Simpson, Moody praise FDA rule change boosting citrus industry
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Florida citrus leaders and Trump administration officials on Friday celebrated a new federal rule lowering the minimum sugar requirement for pasteurized orange juice, saying the change will allow processors to use more Florida-grown oranges and reduce reliance on imported fruit. The Food and Drug Administration’s final rule lowers the required minimum… The post Florida leaders Simpson, Moody praise FDA rule change boosting ci…
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