New Bill Sets 10% Minimum Solids for Pasteurized Orange Juice

A new piece of legislation, the "Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act of 2025," aims to tweak the recipe for the pasteurized orange juice you find on store shelves. The core change? It mandates that this type of OJ must contain at least 10.0% orange juice soluble solids by weight, as laid out in Section 2. Importantly, any solids coming from added sweeteners won't count towards this minimum.

What's Changing in Your OJ Carton?

So, what does "10% orange juice soluble solids" actually mean? Think of it as a measure of the actual orange components – the natural stuff derived directly from the fruit, minus the water. This bill updates the federal standard (found in section 146.140 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations) to ensure a baseline level of orange solids in pasteurized juice. The key detail is that sugar or other sweeteners added during processing don't help meet this 10% threshold; it has to be from the orange itself. The bill also notes this doesn't stop the Secretary of Health and Human Services from making future changes to these standards.

For most people grabbing a carton for breakfast, the immediate change might not be obvious. However, this could subtly shift the quality baseline, potentially nudging some brands to use more actual orange content, which might benefit domestic orange growers. On the flip side, producers who currently operate below this 10% standard might need to adjust their processes. While the bill doesn't dictate prices, changes in production requirements can sometimes influence the final cost on the shelf. It's a technical adjustment focused on defining what's inside your standard carton of pasteurized OJ.