Rep. Laurel Lee Hosts Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Announce FDA Proposal Supporting Florida Citrus Industry

Lakeland, FL - Today, Representative Laurel Lee (FL-15) hosted Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL), Representative Kat Cammack (FL-03) and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson for a press conference alongside Florida citrus growers and industry leaders to discuss the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed rule to modernize the federal Brix standard for not-from-concentrate pasteurized orange juice.

The Brix standard measures the amount of naturally occurring sugars and other soluble solids in orange juice and is part of the federal standard of identity for not-from-concentrate pasteurized orange juice. Established decades ago, the current standard no longer reflects the realities facing Florida citrus growers. As growing conditions have evolved over time, many otherwise high-quality Florida oranges no longer meet the decades-old threshold, despite producing safe, nutritious, and great-tasting juice.

FDA's proposed rule would lower the minimum Brix standard from 10.5° to 10.0°, an update that would provide greater flexibility for Florida citrus growers while preserving the quality consumers expect. It is a commonsense update that reduces unnecessary regulatory burdens while preserving the quality standards consumers trust. By modernizing the federal standard, the proposal better reflects today's agricultural conditions while supporting one of Florida's signature industries.

"President Trump is ending an outdated regulation that forced American orange juice producers to rely on foreign imports and an obsolete sugar standard," said HHS Secretary Kennedy. "We are cutting red tape, saving the industry more than $50 million each year, strengthening American supply chains, and creating a level playing field for U.S. citrus growers - all while maintaining the safety, quality, and taste Americans expect. That is America First policy, guided by gold-standard science."

"American farmers deserve every opportunity to compete, succeed, and lead the world with the products they grow here at home," said Rep. Laurel Lee. "I appreciate Secretary Kennedy's leadership in advancing this thoughtful, commonsense proposal to modernize the federal Brix standard. By updating a decades-old federal standard to reflect the realities of modern agriculture while preserving the outstanding quality consumers expect, this proposal creates new opportunities for Florida-grown citrus, strengthens domestic production, and gives Florida growers the opportunity to compete on the strength of the exceptional product they've produced for generations."

"When I heard an outdated FDA rule was threatening the survival of Florida's great citrus growers, I immediately went to work-filing the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act and meeting with the White House to expedite a solution. Today is proof that the juice was worth the squeeze. Florida's citrus farmers are an integral part of Florida's culture, and I will always fight to ensure they have the support they need to continue growing and making a living," said Senator Ashley Moody. "Thank you to everyone who worked so cohesively to make this happen, including Sec. Kennedy, Rep. Franklin, Rep. Lee, Rep. Cammack, and our industry partners. This is a major win for our state."

"When Congressman Scott Franklin and I first started working on this issue, Florida growers kept asking us one simple question: Why are we being forced to blend imported juice into a product made from perfectly good Florida oranges? The answer was an outdated Washington regulation that had not kept pace with citrus greening, hurricanes, freezes, and the realities in Florida's groves," said Congresswoman Kat Cammack. "For years, we have worked with Florida Citrus Mutual, the Florida Citrus Processors Association, the Florida Farm Bureau, FDA, and our colleagues in Congress to fix it. We introduced legislation, took the case directly to the agency, and kept pushing until Washington listened. I'm grateful to Secretary Kennedy and Acting Commissioner Diamantas, Congressman Scott Franklin, Congresswoman Laurel Lee, and our partners across Florida's citrus industry for helping make this commonsense, science-based solution possible. Now, more Florida oranges can go into Florida orange juice, and one of our state's proudest industries has a stronger path forward."

"For too long, outdated regulations have failed to reflect the realities facing Florida citrus. Citrus greening has changed our industry in ways no one could have imagined when many of these standards were written decades ago. Updating the minimum Brix standard is about modernizing regulations, so they reflect today's science and today's growing conditions," said Jeb Smith, President & CEO of Florida Farm Bureau. "I want to thank Secretary Kennedy, Acting Commissioner Diamantas, Senator Ashley Moody, Congresswoman Kat Cammack, Congresswoman Laurel Lee, Congressman Scott Franklin, and the Trump Administration for recognizing an issue that Florida citrus growers have been raising for years and for moving to address it with the urgency needed."

"Florida's citrus growers appreciate our steadfast partners, like Representative Laurel Lee, Representative Kat Cammack and Senator Ashley Moody, who have worked alongside us every step of the way to modernize the decades-old standard of identity for orange juice," said Matt Joyner, Executive Vice President & CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. "With this regulatory change in place, growers can use more Florida-grown oranges to bring high-quality, nutrient-dense orange juice to breakfast tables across the nation and the world."

Watch Rep. Lee's remarks from the Press Conference here.

Background:

Under current federal regulations, the standard of identity for not-from-concentrate pasteurized orange juice requires a minimum Brix level of 10.5%, a measurement of naturally occurring sugar and soluble solids in orange juice. As growing conditions have evolved over time, many perfectly flavorful and nutritious Florida oranges no longer meet that outdated threshold. As a result, processors often must rely more heavily on imported juice to meet the existing standard, limiting opportunities for domestic growers.

The FDA's proposed rule would update the minimum Brix requirement to 10.0%, helping ensure that more Florida-grown oranges qualify for premium not-from-concentrate juice while preserving the taste, nutrition and quality consumers expect.