FDA Seeks Input on Citizen Petition Regarding Pasteurized Orange Juice
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a request for information on a citizen petition asking the FDA to amend the standard of identity for pasteurized orange juice by lowering the minimum soluble solids content, known as the Brix level.
The citizen petition, filed by the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Florida Citrus Mutual on July 22, 2022, asks the FDA to reduce the Brix level, or minimum soluble solids requirement, from 10.5% to 10%, citing that the average Brix level of Florida’s orange crop has steadily dropped over the past couple of decades due to a bacterial disease called “citrus greening” and severe weather. Lowering the minimum level of soluble solids might reduce the sweetness of the juice and the levels of certain nutrients.