Orange juice sugar cuts proposed by FDA to help citrus growers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing an update to a decades-old orange juice rule that could give American citrus growers a boost — with little to no change in the taste of the popular breakfast staple, experts say.

For the first time since 1963, the agency wants to lower the minimum sugar content required in pasteurized orange juice.

The proposal, announced on Aug. 6, would drop the required Brix level — a measure of dissolved solids, mostly natural sugars — from 10.5% to 10%. The shift aligns with the natural Brix levels now present in American oranges and corresponds to about 1 gram less of sugar per 8-ounce serving, from 18 grams to 17 grams, per the FDA.

The change stems from a 2022 petition by the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Florida Citrus Mut