Energy Drinks Get Their Own Regulatory Framework Under Proposed East African Beverage Standard

The East African Community (EAC) has proposed a major revision of its soft drinks standard, introducing a dedicated regulatory framework for energy drinks for the first time. The draft standard, DEAS 29-1:2026 Water-based Flavoured Drinks – Specification – Part 1: Carbonated and Non-carbonated Soft Drinks, would replace the current standard EAS 29:2000 and establish a new structure for regulating the beverage sector.

A key feature of the proposal is the division of the existing standard into separate parts. While Part 1 covers conventional carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, a new Part 2 dedicated to energy drinks is planned. This reflects the growing importance of the energy drink category and the need for product-specific regulatory requirements.

Beyond the structural change, the draft modernises requirements for soft drinks, including provisions on composition, contaminants, microbiological criteria, food additives, packaging and labelling. It also aligns several requirements with Codex standards and other updated East African regulatory texts.

The proposal introduces more detailed rules on nutrition labelling, nutrition and health claims, allergen declarations and the use of fruit-related imagery and claims on product labels. It also establishes limits for parameters such as caffeine, quinine, alcohol content and heavy metal contaminants.

If adopted, the revised framework would provide manufacturers with greater regulatory clarity while creating a distinct pathway for the regulation of energy drinks in East Africa.

The creation of a separate standard for energy drinks signals increased regulatory attention on the category.