WASHINGTON, DC—Reps. Scott Franklin (FL-18) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) today reintroduced their bipartisan legislation, the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act, which aims to update regulations and support Florida citrus growers. The measure is cosponsored by the entire Florida Delegation.
“Outdated standards and needless red tape are standing in the way of Florida citrus’s big comeback,” said Rep. Scott Franklin. “While slow-moving FDA bureaucrats take years to deliberate a small regulatory adjustment, our growers are losing out on profit to foreign producers and struggling to keep their operations afloat. This simple fix throws them a lifeline, allowing more domestic product to come to market without sacrificing quality for consumers. Helping Florida’s flagship crop is a bipartisan issue, and I’m grateful to my Florida colleagues for joining me to update this harmful regulation.”
“Unless we defeat pests, diseases, and extreme weather, the natural decline in brix levels in mature Florida oranges will continue, but this bill would provide our farmers and processors with flexibility to keep producing the world’s best oranges, with no sacrifices in the high quality and taste our farmers always deliver,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “Florida’s growers and processors should not be further waylaid by this outdated, arbitrary brix measure. Tasty, nutritious orange juice is what the world wants, and Florida orange growers should be able to continue to deliver it to our breakfast tables. This bill does that.”
“I’m pleased to join Rep. Franklin and my colleagues in the Florida delegation in introducing the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act this Congress,” said Rep. Kat Cammack. “The last several years of hurricanes have generated significant challenges for our growers, which they have worked to overcome, on top of the challenges presented by citrus greening. Florida’s oranges are one of our state’s most prominent commodities and I will always stand by our producers and the incredible work they do to support our state and nation.”
"The State of Florida is synonymous with citrus and sunshine. However, our citrus growers are facing unprecedented challenges, from extreme weather to pests and disease," said Rep. Kathy Castor. "Ensuring the integrity of our orange juice standards is essential to protecting this vital industry. This bill will provide much-needed clarity and stability, ensuring consumers receive the quality they expect while supporting our hardworking farmers. I am grateful for the bipartisan collaboration on this effort, and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for standing up for our Florida farmers."
“In recent years, Florida citrus growers have faced a multitude of challenges that threaten the sustainability and profitability of the industry, including the relentless scourge of the citrus greening disease and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts. With the increasing importation of foreign orange juice, which often undercuts our domestic producers, we must take decisive action to uphold the integrity and quality of American-made orange juice,” said Rep. Laurel Lee. “The Domestic Orange Juice Act will change the Brix standard set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow orange growers to continue to produce the loved Florida orange juice without making sacrifices that will affect the quality and taste.”
“We support our Florida citrus growers and their efforts to continue making delicious orange juice for American families with more domestically grown fruit. By making this necessary change to the brix standard, we are accommodating to the challenges of recent years and helping our growers maintain their livelihoods,’ said Rep. Darren Soto.
“We need to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers that keep Florida Farmers from being able to compete and thrive,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis. “This important legislation gets us one step closer to achieving that goal.”
“Florida’s citrus industry has made a remarkable comeback in recent years after natural disasters devastated Orange groves throughout Florida,” said Congressman Neal Dunn. “Florida citrus growers have done their part by working to restore the industry’s strength. Now it’s time for Washington to do its part by improving orange juice regulatory standards to better reflect the natural makeup of the orange crop and reduce costs for families at the grocery store.”
"Florida citrus growers have been working hard to combat the challenges facing the Sunshine State’s iconic citrus industry, including citrus greening, hurricane damage and outdated federal regulations. We thank Reps. Scott Franklin and Debbie Wasserman Schultz for continuing to champion the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act to modernize the Brix level to reflect the natural sugars in today’s citrus crop,” said Matt Joyner, Executive Vice President and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “This legislation is a critical step in helping growers continue to meet consumer preference, compete in the marketplace and support the domestic supply of orange juice.”
Specifically, this bill would direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to alter the brix standard (required level of sugar/solids content) in not-from-concentrate pasteurized orange juice from 10.5 percent to 10 percent.
Currently, oranges below the 10.5 percent brix standard cannot be used for not-from-concentrate pasteurized orange juice. The crop must be used for concentrate or other products, which are sold at a lower rate. Fine-tuning the requirement will better reflect the natural makeup of today’s crop, which has been affected by disastrous major hurricane seasons, greening and other adverse factors. This adjustment would not make a discernible difference in taste or nutritional value. It would, however, increase flexibility for the citrus industry and reduce our reliance on foreign fruit to meet consumer demand.
In 2022, the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Florida Citrus Mutual filed a citizen petition requesting the FDA revise its brix requirements for pasteurized orange juice.
In 2023, Reps. Franklin and Wasserman Schultz first introduced their Defending the Domestic Orange Juice Production Act with the support of the entire Florida Delegation. The bill was the subject of an Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing last September, where Florida lawmakers further urged the FDA to move quickly to help alleviate the burden on citrus growers.
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