U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday that the FDA has revised federal standards for pasteurized orange juice.
The change marks a significant shift in agricultural regulation intended to support domestic citrus growers and reduce the nation's reliance on imported fruit. By updating the requirements for what can be labeled as pasteurized orange juice, the government aims to modernize a system that has not been updated in decades.
According to the FDA, the agency issued the final rule on Friday in Washington, D.C. [3]. The primary change involves the Brix level, which measures the sugar content of the juice. The new rule lowers the minimum sugar-content requirement by 10% [1].
This regulatory update replaces a federal standard that had been in place for 63 years [2]. The longstanding requirement had created challenges for domestic producers, particularly in Florida, where environmental factors can affect the natural sugar levels of the fruit.
By lowering the Brix standard, the government intends to allow more domestically produced juice to meet federal labeling requirements. This move is designed to benefit domestic growers by making it easier for their products to enter the market without needing to be blended with imports to meet the previous sugar threshold [3].
Kennedy said the update is part of a broader effort to modernize federal health and food standards. The decision reflects a pivot toward supporting the domestic supply chain and adjusting to current agricultural realities [3].
“The FDA has lowered the minimum sugar-content requirement for pasteurized orange juice.”
This policy shift represents a strategic move to protect the U.S. citrus industry from volatility and foreign competition. By lowering the Brix standard, the FDA is acknowledging that the biological reality of domestic crops has shifted since the mid-20th century. This allows Florida growers to sell more of their harvest as pure pasteurized juice rather than relying on imported concentrates to meet an outdated sugar minimum.
