The Bureau of Standards Jamaica has issued Draft Jamaican Standard DJS 380:2026 – Specification for Whiskey for public consultation. The draft establishes mandatory requirements for the composition, classification, packaging, labelling, contaminants, and sampling of whiskey products marketed in Jamaica.
Scope of the Draft Standard
The draft standard applies to whiskey products and specifies: Product characteristics,Identity and classification requirements,Packaging specifications,Mandatory, labelling provisions,Sampling and compliance procedures.
a) Mandatory Labelling Requirements
Labels must prominently display:
Brand name
Product name
Alcoholic strength
Net content
Manufacturer or bottler details
Country of origin
Additional requirements include:
Statements such as “Manufactured by,” “Distilled by,” or “Bottled by”
“Product of” declaration for country of origin
Compliance with official language requirements of the destination market
b) Heavy Metal and Microbiological Limits
The draft standard establishes maximum contaminant limits for whiskey products, including arsenic at 0.25 mg/L, cadmium at 0.01 mg/L, copper at 5.0 mg/L, lead at 0.2 mg/L, and mercury at 0.25 mg/L. These limits are intended to control toxic metal contamination and align whiskey products with food safety requirements applicable in Jamaica.
The draft standard does not specify microbiological limits for whiskey products. However, manufacturers are required to comply with general food hygiene principles referenced under CXC 1 – General Principles of Food Hygiene, alongside applicable contaminant and safety provisions under Codex standards.