Your orange juice may soon have a little less sugar, if FDA rule is enacted

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08-08-2025

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The orange juice at grocery stores could have a little bit less sugar if a proposed regulation goes into effect.
The US Food and Drug Administration proposed a new regulation on Tuesday that would lower the minimum Brix requirement, which measures the sugar and other dissolved solid content of a liquid. The change would drop the amount of sugar in pasteurized orange juice from 10.5 to 10 degrees Brix, according to the FDA.
For example, if a 100-gram sample of a liquid was made up of 50 grams of water and 50 grams of sugars and other dissolved solids –– such as pectin, organic acids and amino acids –– then the liquid would be 50 degrees on the Brix scale, according to the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Why even have a minimum level of sugar for juice? It is part of the Standard of Identity, which the FDA set so that when customers buy pasteurized orange juice, they know what to expect from the taste, ingredients and manufacturing, according to a statement from the agency, which has over 250 such standards for specific foods.
Orange juice, and other fruit juices, have been criticized for being a big source of sugars, but the change is not just for health concerns.
Over the past few decades, severe weather and a bacterial disease have impacted Florida oranges, the statement said. A lower Brix minimum would make it easier for manufacturers to continue to produce orange juice that meets the domestic standards instead of importing from abroad.
The change likely won't impact the taste or nutrients very much, the FDA said. The next step on the possible regulation isn't until November 4, when electronic or written comments from the public are due.
Even if there is a little less sugar, should people avoid drinking juice altogether?
The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, recommends that caregivers don't give any fruit juice to infants under 12 months. For children 1 to 6 years old, the association recommends limiting fruit juice to no more than 4 to 6 ounces a day.
Even without any added sugar, juicing fruit tends to lead to a high concentration of natural sugars and loses fiber and some other nutrients, said Dr. Tom Brenna, professor of pediatrics, human nutrition and chemistry at Dell Medical School of the University of Texas at Austin.
Overconsuming is also much easier when drinking juice than eating a piece of fruit, he added.
The sugar content is an especially important consideration for people who have diabetes, prediabetes or elevated blood sugars, said Charlotte, North Carolina-based dietitian Natalie Mokari.
'Whole fruits are better. You get the fiber, which is a nutrient, and you get more vitamins and minerals,' said Dr. Mark Corkins, chair of the AAP Committee on Nutrition and professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis.
While the AAP does not recommend juice, it can be OK to drink it in moderation, Corkins said.
Even whole fruit juice shouldn't be used to completely substitute anyone's daily fruit or fluid needs, he said, but it can help supplement if needed.
Many Americans, particularly teens, do not eat enough fruits, and 100% fruit juice can be a way to get some vitamins and minerals if consumed in small volumes, he added.
And for people with limited mobility in their hands, peeling an orange or cutting an apple might not always be possible, in which case whole fruit juice may help supplement their diet, Mokari said.
She recommended using small glasses when drinking juice. It is hard to feel satisfied when you have a giant glass and only filled it a quarter of the way, she said. And try to pair it with fiber and protein, she advised.
If your kids want juice at breakfast, Mokari recommends including foods such as yogurt with a whole grain cereal, whole grain toast with peanut butter or even cheese toast.
But the best option is always to have the whole fruit instead of juice, Corkins said.
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