FDA Changes 63-Year-Old Orange Juice Standard: What Consumers Need to Know

You probably did not notice that your morning glass of OJ has changed a bit. Here is a look at how regulatory changes have tweaked the composition of this breakfast favorite.

FDA Updates Decades-Long Standard Defining Orange Juice

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated a 63-year-old standard regarding what defines orange juice. On July 19, the FDA announced that it was changing the standards of identity and lowering the minimum required sugar content for pasteurized orange juice products. Prompted by requests from the orange industry, the changes went into effect on August 19.

The agency’s standards of identity were established in 1939 as a metric to describe what individual food products must contain. The updated rule for orange juice reduced the soluble solids content in the juice from a minimum of 10.5° Brix to 10.0° Brix. The rule also increased the maximum allowable percentage of mandarin oranges and their associated hybrids from 10% to 15% of the volume of juice.

Brix is a measurement that denotes the sugar content in orange juice. Officials with the FDA said that the change was rolled out to “reflect current agricultural conditions” and support “honesty and fair dealing.”

Petitions from industry groups including the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Florida Citrus Mutual prompted the changes to the standards of identity. These groups said that a bacterial infection known as citrus greening has paired with severe weather to cause the oranges to naturally have lower Brix levels. These climate impacts have damaged Florida’s orange crops in recent years.

A second petition from the Florida Department of Citrus, the Florida Citrus Processors Association, the Florida Citrus Mutual, and the Juice Products Association asked for an increase in the allowances of mandarin orange juice in pasteurized orange juice. The FDA noted that the 90-day comment period demonstrated that there was much support for lowering the minimum Brix requirement while also increasing the mandarin orange limit.

What the Changes Mean for Your Orange Juice

The changes were not without criticism. Some commenters said that lowering the Brix requirement for sugar “could reduce sweetness, quality, and nutritional value, potentially misleading consumers about what qualifies as ‘orange juice.’”

The FDA is defending the decision to lower the sugar requirement, saying that “we do not anticipate a negative impact on consumers because lowering the Brix has minimal impact on sugar and nutrient content and therefore is unlikely to significantly affect taste and nutritional value.”

The agency explained that its internal research showed that consumers did not find “meaningful differences in taste or flavor” in the products that had seen the change. The FDA detailed that reducing Brix from 10.5 to 10 reduces the sugar content from 18 grams to 17 grams per serving, resulting in a “minimal impact” on nutrients like potassium.

Consumers can determine the sugar content of their favorite juice by looking at the nutrition facts label. The FDA also added that the lower sugar requirement may decrease the added concentrated ingredients. However, the agency said that the lowered level of minimum sugar “does not permit added water or dilution.”

Orange Juice Production in the U.S. Falters

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. supports the changes, saying that the rule helps to mitigate the country’s reliance on foreign orange juice imports. Kennedy also said that the policy will save money while supporting the domestic citrus industry. A statement from Kennedy’s office said that “this long-overdue change will stop our reliance on imports and unleash American agriculture.”

The production of oranges in the U.S. fell from 146.6 million boxes in 2014–2015 to just 58.3 million boxes in 2024–2025, raising alarm within the industry. At the time, U.S. orange juice imports jumped from 280,000 metric tons in 2015–2016 to 400,000 in 2024–2025, according to an FDA economic analysis.

The FDA noted in this analysis that “some manufacturers mix imported orange juice with domestic orange juice to meet the current minimum Brix requirement.” The agency said that the new rule will provide benefits such as “flexibility for manufacturers, flexibility of product choice for consumers, and potential sustainability for manufacturers in the face of disease or climate impacts.” Officials explained that manufacturers will also be able to substitute cheaper ingredients because of the changes, hopefully translating to lower costs for consumers.

The citrus industry has largely supported the changes. According to Daniel Hunt, president of family-owned citrus company Hunt Bros. Coop, “The new FDA ruling is another tool that helps us make better use of the oranges my family works so hard to grow.” Hunt added that changes “can potentially give growers who have spent years investing in new trees and research to recover from citrus greening disease and recent inclement weather some market relief while we continue working toward lasting solutions in our groves.”

Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Matt Joyne said in a statement that “Florida’s citrus growers applaud the FDA for modernizing the standard of identity for orange juice, helping ensure more American-grown oranges can make their way into the juice consumers enjoy.”

The changes to orange juice production are likely just the beginning. A statement from Kennedy confirmed that the Trump administration is currently reviewing over 250 other product standards of identity.

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