POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida citrus growers are celebrating a proposal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change its definition of orange juice.

“We’re thrilled," said Matt Joyner, executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. "This has been almost 3.5 years in the making. Very frustrating situation, but we are excited about the opportunity to see the administration move forward with this rule change."

Florida Citrus Mutual is a Polk County-based organization that advocates for Florida’s citrus growers.

The most recent data available show that Polk County is the top producer of citrus in terms of both production and acreage, according to Joyner.

Federal regulation requires pasteurized orange juice to have a 10.5 Brix level, a measure of dissolved sug

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