Proposed modernisation of orange juice regulations to benefit American growers

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced plans to support American citrus growers and cut bureaucratic barriers by proposing an update to the standard of identity (SOI) for pasteurised orange juice. This „America First“ action will end a 60-year-old rule that hurts domestic farmers and forces reliance on foreign imports. The FDA expects this change is unlikely to affect the taste of pasteurised orange juice.

The FDA’s proposed rule would reduce the minimum required Brix level in pasteurised orange juice from 10.5 percent to 10 percent, better reflecting the natural Brix level of American oranges. The rule change is estimated to save orange juice manufacturers more than $50 million per year and would reduce reliance on the use of imported oranges for “not from concentrate” pasteurised orange juice products in order to meet the required Brix level.