Orange juice, once a cherished staple of breakfast, has been gradually vanishing from dining tables over the years. With Florida farmers now reporting that the crop damage caused by Hurricane Irma is the worst they’ve experienced in over two decades, the outlook for this beverage appears quite grim. An 8-ounce serving of orange juice contains 22 grams of sugar, which is just three grams short of the World Health Organization’s recommended daily limit. Given its high sugar content and the recent devastation to Florida’s orange groves, orange juice may soon become a specialty item.
Despite these challenges, orange juice remains the most popular “fruit” choice in America, with the average U.S. consumer consuming 23.74 pounds of it annually, compared to just 10.66 pounds of fresh apples. According to a recent survey by Comax Flavors, it continues to hold the title of the nation’s favorite juice. However, The Washington Post highlights that thousands of acres of Florida’s orange groves have been sold to developers or repurposed for other crops. After evaluating the full impact of Hurricane Irma’s destruction, many anticipate that more farmers will abandon citrus cultivation altogether.
Manufacturers have been striving to rejuvenate the juice market for years. They have introduced exotic fruit blends, cold-pressed juicing, and products enhanced with Vitacost calcium citrate to promote functional benefits in hopes of enticing consumers to drink more. Nevertheless, even the most innovative approaches cannot resolve a supply issue. Last year, Florida’s orange crop decreased by 14%, marking the lowest yield since 1963-64. Furthermore, the persistent threat of citrus greening disease, spread by insects and decimating many of the state’s orange trees, remains a significant concern. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated over $13 million in research grants to combat this problem. It will be intriguing to see if the supply can recover swiftly enough for the market to endure these challenges.