The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule to amend the six decade-old Standard of Identity (SOI) for pasteurized orange juice.

The proposed rule is open for public comment in the Federal Register.

In response to a 2022 citizen petition submitted by the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Florida Citrus Mutual, the proposed amendment would reduce the minimum Brix requirement (a measurement that indicates the sugar content of a liquid), from 10.5 to 10.

The Brix level for Florida oranges has been steadily declining over the past few decades due to severe weather and a bacterial disease called “citrus greening,” making it challenging to meet the minimum Brix established in the original SOI, which was established in 1963. To meet FDA’s current requirements, some manufacturers have imported high-Brix orange juice from abroad. Addressing this challenge, FDA expects that lowering the minimum Brix from 10.5 to 10 is unlikely to affect the taste of orange juice and will have a minimal impact on the nutrients found in orange juice.

The proposed amendment furthers the agency’s ongoing actions to review its portfolio of more than 250 SOIs to ensure they are useful and relevant. In July, FDA revoked 52 “obsolete and unnecessary” SOIs for canned fruits and vegetables, baked goods, dairy products, macaroni products, fish and shellfish, and other foods.