Selling soft drinks and other beverages: the rules by market
The rules soft drinks and other beverages must meet before going on sale in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: who writes them, who enforces them, and what has to be registered, tested and labelled, with the official source for each. Compliant Always shows which of them apply to your product.
Europe
- European UnionIn the EU, soft drinks follow the general food rules: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 for labelling, the additives list and the claims register. Drinks above 150 mg/l of caffeine carry a set warning. A natural mineral water has to be recognised by a member state, and drinks packaging falls under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.Selling soft drinks and waters in the EU
- United KingdomIn the UK, soft drinks follow the general food labelling rules, and drinks above 150 mg/l of caffeine carry a set warning. Drinks with added sugar and at least 5 g of sugar per 100 ml pay the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. A natural mineral water needs official recognition before it is sold.Selling soft drinks and waters in the UK
- SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, beverages follow general food law plus the FDHA Ordinance on Beverages, which defines soft drinks, natural mineral water and caffeinated drinks and adds labelling for each. Labels follow the FDHA Ordinance on Food Information (LIV). The Beverage Container Ordinance sets deposits, take-back and a disposal fee for glass.Selling soft drinks and other beverages in Switzerland
The Americas
- United StatesIn the US, non-alcoholic drinks are food under FDA rules: the general labelling rules in 21 CFR Part 101 apply, and the FDA does not pre-approve labels. A drink that appears to contain juice declares its juice percentage, juice is processed under a HACCP rule, and bottled water meets its own standard of identity.Selling soft drinks, juices and bottled water in the US
- CanadaIn Canada, non-alcoholic drinks are food under the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act. Mineral and spring water have a compositional standard and their own label particulars, juices take names from the standards of identity, and drinks with added vitamins, minerals or caffeine are often supplemented foods with a Supplemented Food Facts table.Selling soft drinks, water and juice in Canada
- MexicoIn Mexico, prepackaged non-alcoholic drinks are labelled to NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010, with front-of-pack seals set per 100 mL. Flavoured drinks and drinks with added caffeine also meet NOM-218-SSA1-2011, which caps caffeine at 33 mg per 100 mL and sets warning legends. Packaged water and ice follow NOM-201-SSA1-2015.Selling soft drinks, waters and energy drinks in Mexico
- BrazilIn Brazil, beverages fall under Law 8.918/1994 and Decree 12.709/2025, enforced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA). A drink under 0.5% alcohol is non-alcoholic; juices, nectars and soft drinks have legal definitions. Labels are in Portuguese, nutrition labelling follows ANVISA's rules, and imports need MAPA authorisation.Selling soft drinks and other beverages in Brazil
Asia and the Pacific
- AustraliaIn Australia, non-alcoholic drinks follow the general labelling rules of the Food Standards Code plus product standards: 2.6.1 for juice, 2.6.2 for packaged water, soft drinks and electrolyte drinks, and 2.6.4 for energy drinks, which caps caffeine at 320 mg/L and requires advisory statements. Soft drinks, bottled water and sports drinks are non-priority foods for country of origin labelling.Selling soft drinks, waters, juices and energy drinks in Australia
- New ZealandIn New Zealand, non-alcoholic drinks follow the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, enforced by the Ministry for Primary Industries. Standards 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 cover juices, packaged water, fruit drinks and electrolyte drinks; Standard 2.6.4 caps caffeine in energy drinks at 320 mg per litre and sets their warnings. General food labelling and net quantity rules also apply.Selling soft drinks, juices and waters in New Zealand
- JapanIn Japan, soft drinks are food under the Food Sanitation Act and the Food Labelling Act. A drink of 1% alcohol or more is liquor under the Liquor Tax Act. Soft drink production needs a prefectural licence, imports are notified to an MHLW quarantine station, and businesses that use containers such as bottles carry recycling obligations.Selling soft drinks and beverages in Japan
- South KoreaIn South Korea, beverages are foods under the Food Sanitation Act, so the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) standards, the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods and the imported food rules apply. High-caffeine foods have extra limits on sale in schools and on advertising aimed at children. Containers fall under recycling law.Selling soft drinks and beverages in South Korea
- SingaporeIn Singapore, drinks are food under the Sale of Food Act and the Food Regulations, administered by the Singapore Food Agency. Prepacked non-alcoholic drinks are graded under Nutri-Grade, and grades C and D carry the mark on the front of the pack. Since 1 April 2026, plastic and metal containers carry a 10-cent deposit.Selling soft drinks, waters and juices in Singapore
- IndiaIn India, non-alcoholic beverages are food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. FSSAI's product standards set what carbonated drinks, mineral water and packaged drinking water may contain, and the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 add boxed declarations such as "CONTAINS CAFFEINE" to the general food label.Selling soft drinks and other beverages in India
The Middle East
- United Arab EmiratesIn the UAE, drinks are food under Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 and are registered in ZAD. Juices and beverages, bottled drinking water and energy drinks are also regulated products: each needs a MoIAT conformity certificate under the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) before it is placed on the market, with test reports and a compliant label.Selling soft drinks, juices and water in the UAE
- Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, beverages are food under the Food Law, regulated by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). They are registered with SFDA, labelled in Arabic under SFDA.FD/GSO 9, and cleared against the standards SFDA lists for each group. Energy drinks need SFDA registration before production or import, and have their own limits and warnings.Selling soft drinks and other beverages in Saudi Arabia
Other products
- Food
- Supplements
- Alcohol
- Infant formula and baby food
- Pet food
- Cosmetics and beauty
- Cleaning products and detergents
- Toys
- Electrical and electronics
- Clothing, footwear and textiles
- Kitchenware and food contact articles
- Consumer goods
Selling soft drinks and other beverages somewhere not listed here? Tell us the product and the market, and we will come back to you with the rules that apply.
Tell us where you sellCompliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.