The amendment to the standard of identity for orange juice will help U.S. producers.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced a final rule to amend the 63-year-old Standard of Identity (SOI) for pasteurized orange juice. The update is intended to help American farmers and secure domestic supply chains.
The HHS department explained, “Established in 1963, the original SOI for pasteurized orange juice mandated a minimum Brix level (a measure of dissolved sugar content) of 10.5°. In recent decades, natural causes have put unprecedented pressure on Florida’s historic orange groves, causing natural Brix levels to decline in Florida oranges. Despite Florida citrus growers having high-quality fruit, American orange juice companies have had to import high-sugar oranges from foreign competitors to meet the rigid Brix minimum, hurting the U.S. economy, driving up prices, and keeping the dissolved sugar content high in American orange juice.“
Secretary Kennedy said that the president’s administration “is ending an outdated regulation that forced American orange juice producers to rely on foreign imports and an obsolete sugar standard.”
He continued, “We are cutting red tape, saving the industry more than $50 million each year, strengthening American supply chains, and creating a level playing field for U.S. citrus growers — all while maintaining the safety, quality, and taste Americans expect.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Kennedy to be led by God as he heads HHS and makes changes to food policies.
- For Acting Commissioner Diamantas as he oversees the FDA and its regulation of U.S. foods.
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services
