A flood of foreign imported orange juice was the deciding factor. Southern Gardens Citrus Processing Corporation announced today that it will no longer process fruit at its facility in Hendry County, Florida. Beginning with the 2019-20 season, Southern Gardens will have its fruit processed at another facility and bring that juice back to its facility in Hendry County for storage …
Redefining Orange Juice?
Some Florida citrus processors, scientists, grower representatives and others recently started discussions about the feasibility of changing the legal standard of identity for orange juice (OJ). Under current U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards of identify for OJ, only sweet orange can be used in OJ products without limitation. Only 10 percent of juice from mandarins or citrus hybrids can …
Working Toward Better Orange Juice in the HLB World
By Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter, Yu Wang and Bill Castle It’s no secret that huanglongbing (HLB) has challenged the industry to maintain the outstanding quality associated with Florida orange juice. Moreover, increased prices and competition from new juice products and blends have reduced Florida orange juice consumption. We believe that improving the quality, especially flavor and color, of juice products …
What Makes Good Orange Juice?
Yu Wang says a key element of her job is finding “how to improve the citrus flavor and how to understand consumer likings” of Florida orange juice. Wang is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “Some of our consumers, they really like that orange flavor; …
Orange Juice Market Outlook
By Marcos Fava Neves A recent Nielsen report reveals negative news for U.S. retail orange juice (OJ) sales. When comparing November 2018 with November 2017, the decline in OJ consumption was 7.4 percent. The value shrunk 3.4 percent, dropping from $223.94 million to $216.44 million. This represents a $7 million dollar loss. Not-from-concentrate juice came down 12 percent, and reconstituted …
Orange Imports Increase as Domestic Juice Supply Remains Squeezed
Until a solution for citrus greening is found, imports will be key to keeping Florida’s citrus industry afloat. Domestic orange production has been declining steadily over the last two decades, with citrus greening disease being the leading cause of decreased acres and productivity. As the gap between domestic production and consumption has widened, imports have increased to boost dwindling domestic …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Juice Trains Roll On
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Anthony T. Rossi, founder of Tropicana, immigrated to New York with the dream of making movies, but ended up in the grocery business for 13 years before heading to Florida in search of warmer weather. Using the skills he’d developed in the grocery business, he began packing gift fruit boxes for Macy’s and Gimbel’s, and jars …
World Orange Juice Consumption Falls Again
By Marcos Fava Neves The annual compilation of data on the world’s orange juice consumption recently became available for 2017. Markestrat researchers analyzed 40 countries that represent almost 100 percent of the world’s processed juice market. The information was first compiled in 2003. At that time, in frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) equivalent, world consumption was 2,390,000 tons. In 2017, …
Could HLB-Tolerant Mandarins Be Used in Florida Orange Juice?
By Laura Reuss, Fred Gmitter and Yu Wang Sweet orange and mandarin fruits are the most popular citrus crops worldwide. Although often mistakenly considered one and the same, oranges and mandarins are different species with specific distinctions. For instance, mandarins are smaller and easier to peel than oranges. Additionally, mandarins are primarily eaten as fresh fruit, whereas most sweet oranges …
Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company Purchases New Facility
Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company recently announced the purchase of a new facility. The Fort Pierce, Florida-native company is expanding, but is not traveling too far from home. Actually, it is not traveling away from home at all. The juice company announced the beginnings of a new 55,000 square-foot building on 11 acres. The building will be located in Fort …
Florida Department of Citrus Responds to New York Times Anti-Juice Article
From the Florida Department of Citrus Over the weekend, the New York Times published an opinion piece, in print and online, critical of juice, including 100 percent orange juice. The article, written by three pediatricians, makes overreaching statements on consumption levels and the health impacts of juice, focusing solely on negative impressions without regard for the positive nutrient benefits 100 percent orange juice …
The Status of Orange Juice Supply
By Marcos Fava Neves The newest estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the 2017–18 season shows Florida with only 46 million boxes of oranges coming from 50 million trees, which represents 33 percent lower production than the 2016–17 season. High droppage and small fruits are also expected. Rabobank estimates Florida’s juice production at 235,000 tons [frozen concentrated orange …
Dramatic Weather Events Disrupt the Orange Juice Market
By Marcos Fava Neves The first 2017–18 U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast for Florida oranges — 54 million boxes — after Hurricane Irma was the lowest number in 70 years. Before the hurricane, we were all expecting that Florida would have more than 80 million boxes of oranges. This possible shortage of approximately 25 million boxes will dramatically affect not-from-concentrate …
Addressing Claims of Herbicide in Orange Juice
By Kevin M. Folta A number of websites recently made claims about detection of the herbicide glyphosate in orange juice from several leading brands1-3. It is important to understand the claims, who is making them, and how to communicate the actual risk, which the science says approaches zero. WHAT IS THE CLAIM? Moms Across America (MAM) claims that it has …
What Is Happening to the Orange Juice Market?
A historical perspective and current conditions are key to understanding what will happen to the orange juice market in the future if HLB-resistant trees are introduced. By Allen Morris Between 2001–02 and 2016–17, the Nielsen-measured retail U.S. orange juice market declined by 50 percent, Florida orange production declined by 70 percent and retail orange juice prices increased by 53 percent …
More Juice to Come from Brazil
By Marcos Fava Neves The first forecast of the 2017–18 Brazilian orange crop was published in May. Brazil expects a total of 364.47 million boxes, including the following: 68.49 million boxes of Hamlin, Westin and Rubi varieties 17.42 million boxes of Valencia Americana, Valencia Argentina, Seleta and Pineapple varieties 114.52 million boxes of the Pera Rio variety 123.04 million boxes …
Captain, We Have a Problem: the Juice Stocks!
By Marcos Fava Neves The new figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released in March showed a small drop in the Florida orange estimate from 70 million to 67 million boxes. In February, the Brazilian orange estimate announced by Fundecitrus stayed the same, at approximately 244 million boxes. Oranges in Brazil currently contain a lot of water, with almost …
Why Florida Orange Juice Is Best
In a recent Florida Department of Citrus video, citrus grower and Florida Citrus Commissioner Ned Hancock told why he thinks Florida orange juice is the world’s best orange juice. He summarizes the reasons for that belief: “I think one is the climate that we’re in is greatly different than some other regions. We are more subtropical and citrus is, I …
Economic Hurricane Hitting Orange Juice Chain
By Marcos Fava Neves We are normally threatened by natural storms hitting the orange juice chain, some of them hurricanes. Matthew was the last one, but fortunately it remained off the coast of Florida rather than directly hitting the orange-production area. However, the orange juice chain is facing a storm — an economic hurricane that is complicating supply and demand. …
A Bitter Analysis of the World’s Orange Juice Market
By Marcos Fava Neves During the last five years, I was involved in a study that examined data in depth about the world’s orange juice (OJ) consumption. This study, led by Markestrat, gathers data from Citrus BR associates, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tetrapak, Compass, Nielsen, Planet Retail and other recognized international organizations that collect data. The analysis was performed in …

























