The FDA has issued a final rule updating the federal Standard of Identity for pasteurized orange juice, setting the minimum at 10° Brix. The announcement was made by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at an event in Lakeland, Florida, with industry representatives present. The change updates a longstanding federal standard that defines what can legally be called orange juice.
The Brix standard determines juice concentration and effectively sets the quality floor for labeled OJ. Florida's citrus industry has been lobbying for standards that support premium domestic product as the state rebuilds from years of HLB-driven crop losses. A higher Brix minimum could help differentiate U.S.-grown juice from diluted or blended imports.
For buyers and category managers in juice and citrus, this regulatory change is worth understanding for its potential impact on sourcing specs, private label standards, and supplier negotiations going forward.