Oranges are processed at the Seald Sweet processing plant in Vero Beach, Florida on February 10, 2006.
A trailer load of oranges is weighed on scales in order to determine the weight of fruit received, which will be used to base the payment to the grower. The oranges are unloaded onto a conveyor belt and from this belt the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) takes a representative sample to test it for juice content, maturity, and to certify the pounds solids per box (the unit that growers' payment is based upon). The fruit is then diverted to storage bins labeled according to the juice specification as determined by FDACS. The fruit is conveyed by belt through a washing process and enters the processing plant where it is graded for bad or damaged fruit. The fruit is then separated by size and sent to the juice extractors. Before juicing, the peel is pricked to extract the oils found in the peel and then the juice is extracted. USDA photo by Ken Hammond.
. Original public domain image from Flickr