There Are Enough Oranges For Your Morning Squeeze So Stop Stressing

Remember when fungicides from Brazil and other orange-producing countries was going around tainting loads of juice and everyone was freaking out like, “Argh, now where will I get my Vitamin C from?!?!?” ? Don’t worry, guys. The government says there won’t be a shortage of the beloved citrus. So calm down.

The Associated Press (via USA Today) says despite fears over cold weather in Florida and the aforementioned fear of tainting incidents, consumers won’t be seeing a price hike on orangey products at the grocery store. The government says the juice is safe to drink and weather is warming right up.

If you notice a higher price on your OJ, it’s not because of the tainting scare — prices were already rising for four of the last five years due to dwindling supplies of oranges and the costs associated with processing and transporting it to your local market.

The U.S. Agriculture Department said early this month that they think Florida’s orange production will be 5% higher than it was at the end of the previous growing season. Combine that with the Food and Drug Administration’s decision against recalling juice products should comfort most consumers, and prices are now dropping, slowly.

And if you’re still freaked out about taint, just drink some water and get your vitamin C elsewhere.

Spike in orange juice prices? It’s pulp fiction [USA Today]

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