Florida Republicans on Friday applauded a final rule released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to modernize the nation’s outdated standard of identity for pasteurized orange juice, saying it will provide greater flexibility for citrus growers in their home state.
U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL), Laurel Lee (R-FL), and Scott Franklin (R-FL) said the updated FDA standard means more Florida-grown fruit can stay in the carton, reducing reliance on imported juice and providing greater incentive to keep groves in production.
The rule also will help preserve one of Florida’s signature industries while supporting growers, processors, and jobs throughout the state’s citrus supply chain, they said during an announcement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., among others.
“Florida citrus has long set the standard for quality around the world, and our growers deserve every opportunity to compete and succeed,” Rep. Lee said on July 17. “Today’s announcement demonstrates what can happen when growers, industry leaders, and elected officials work together to solve real problems.”
Specifically, the updated standard lowers the minimum Brix level, a federal standard that establishes the minimum level of naturally occurring sugar and soluble solids required for pasteurized orange juice.
The previous standard was established more than 60 years ago, long before citrus greening and repeated natural disasters fundamentally changed growing conditions in Florida. As a result, many healthy, marketable Florida oranges could no longer meet the federal standard despite producing safe, high-quality juice.
By lowering the minimum Brix level from 10.5 to 10 degrees, processors will be able to produce 100 percent orange juice using more Florida fruit, according to a summary of the final rule provided by the lawmakers.
FDA estimates the rule will save manufacturers more than $50 million annually.
“Citrus greening, hurricanes, and freezes changed the fruit, but the federal standard never changed with it. We introduced legislation, worked directly with FDA, and kept pushing until Washington finally listened,” said Rep. Cammack. “Now, more Florida oranges can go into Florida orange juice, helping strengthen one of our state’s signature industries and ensuring this proud Florida tradition can continue for generations to come.”
Rep. Franklin also noted that the final rule is a critical victory for Florida citrus and the growers working to uphold the industry.
“For years, our producers have battled citrus greening, hurricanes, freezes, and rising production costs while operating under a federal regulation written for a different era,” Rep. Franklin said. “This rule finally brings federal policy in line with today’s agricultural realities by cutting unnecessary red tape, helping American growers get more value from the fruit they produce, and reducing our reliance on imported orange juice.”
The congressman in February 2025 sponsored the bipartisan Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act of 2025, H.R. 933, which pressed for the FDA change that now aligns with the bill.
H.R. 933, which has 25 original cosponsors, including Reps. Cammack and Lee, would require finished pasteurized orange juice to contain at least 10 percent rather than 10.5 percent by weight of orange juice soluble solids, exclusive of the solids of any added optional sweetening ingredients.