Laurel Lee

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 “President Trump is ending an outdated regulation that forced American orange juice producers to rely on foreign imports and an obsolete sugar standard,” said HHS Secretary Kennedy.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 unt