U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) applauded a recent proposal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lower the required sugar content in pasteurized orange juice. The FDA says the move would reduce costs for manufacturers and reduce the dependence on imports.
The proposed change follows Sen. Moody's sponsorship in April of the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act, a bill advocating for Florida’s citrus industry. The reductions are also part of the Brix Standard, which is a measure of dissolved sugar in pasteurized orange juice.
According to the FDA, the proposed rule would lower the arbitrary sugar levels of orange juice from 10.5 percent to 10 percent. Moody noted the sugar change would have little effect on taste or nutritional value.
"Earlier this year, I vowed to our great Florida orange growers that I would do everything I could to modernize standards and streamline regulations to protect their industry," Moody said. "Our growers have faced many hardships over the past several years, from devastating storms to citrus greening, and could no longer endure the unnecessary and burdensome regulations that favored foreign growers."
The proposal follows a recent decision by the Department of Agriculture to remove unhealthy food products from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) benefits, including for Florida. The initiative is part of the federal government's push to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Moody also thanked Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, who also signed off on Florida's food choice waiver, for acting to save Florida's citrus industry. Moreover, Moody thanked President Donald Trump and Kennedy Jr. for correcting the unnecessary regulations on state farmers.
Stressing the industry's importance to the state, the Florida Department of Citrus has estimated an annual economic impact of around $7 billion. The tax revenue also goes on to help Florida schools, roads, and health care services.
"I have fought hard to ensure we can provide much-needed relief to Florida growers, and I am thrilled that under President Trump’s administration, we are finally putting American growers first," Moody continued. "The FDA has proposed a revised rule that will make a HUGE difference for Florida’s citrus growers.
