“What it means is that there is a level of protection so when they go to purchase their product they know there's somebody out there that's been inspecting it so they can expect a good piece of fruit,” said Fred Rinder, Deputy Commissioner.
When oranges freeze it can mean a big financial loss. It also means consumers won't buy the fruit again, something Rinder says is exactly why they examine the fruit. To make sure dried up citrus fruit won't make it onto the store shelves. A representative with the California Citrus Mutual says, there's an army of people up and down the state cutting fruit all day to check for damage after this weeks cold temps.
"When it gets cold for a really long time you can anticipate some damage either exterior or internally,” said Joel Nelsen.
Rinder says although they found some damage its still not as bad as they've seen.
“There was some damage but not as bad as we saw in 2007, some varieties showed a little more than others and what this did, help our inspectors to get a feel where they ought to be spending their time,” said Rinder.
Citrus growers will be working around the clock all weekend to protect their fruit.