The Bureau of Standards Jamaica has released Draft Jamaican Standard DJS 379:2026 – Specification for Brewed Products for public consultation. The draft establishes mandatory requirements for the composition, classification, microbiological safety, packaging, labelling, and sampling of brewed beverages marketed in Jamaica.
Scope of the Draft Standard
a) The draft applies to brewed cereal-derived beverages sold under common names such as:
Beer
Ale
Lager beer
Malta
Malt liquor
Radler
Shandy
Stout
Porter
The standard excludes non-cereal beverages marketed using beer-related terminology such as ginger beer, ginger ale, and root beer.
b) Microbiological specifications for brewed products include:
Total plate count: 10 CFU/100 mL
Yeast and mould: 0
Coliforms: 0
Lactic acid bacteria: 10 CFU/100 mL
c) Mandatory Labelling Requirements
Labels must comply with JS CRS 40 and include:
Product name
Manufacturer details
Alcohol content declaration
Ingredient list
Storage instructions
Mandatory warning statements
The draft specifically prohibits any health claims on brewed product
d) Mandatory Health Warnings
The draft introduces mandatory alcohol risk communication requirements, including warnings related to:
Drinking and driving
Excessive alcohol consumption
Addiction and liver disease
Medication interactions
Underage drinking
Pregnancy warning statements and pictograms are mandatory for beverages containing 0.5% ABV or more.