Crisp giant turns packaging black and white as Iran war fuels ink shortage
Crisp giant turns packaging black and white as Iran war fuels ink shortage
Matthew FieldTue, May 12, 2026 at 1:08 PM UTC
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The monotone bags mark a sharp break from Japan’s usually vibrant snack packaging
A Japanese snack giant is replacing its colourful crisp packets with black-and-white bags as the Iran war fuels a global shortage of petroleum-based inks.
Calbee, Japan’s biggest savoury snack-maker, said it will temporarily switch to monochrome packaging for 14 of its brands, including its Potato Chips and Frugra Granola.
The company said the planned change was a “response to supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East”.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil prices soaring and left manufacturers in Asia scrambling to secure supplies of byproducts of the refining process, including naphtha, which is used to create coloured inks and plastics.
Japan relies on the Middle East for about 95pc of its crude oil imports and about 60pc of its naphtha.
In March, analysts from Citigroup estimated that the country held about 250 days of crude oil in its reserves, but only about 20 days of naphtha. However, Japanese ministers have since insisted the country has enough naphtha supplies to last until the end of the year.
Calbee said the switch from its brightly coloured packets, typically red and yellow, to white, black and grey would take place later this month. The muted new designs also remove the “Potato Boy” mascot from the packets.
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The monotone bags will represent a major departure from typical Japanese snack packets, which often rely on vibrant designs and colours to vie for consumers’ attention.
Calbee said the changes would apply in Japan and only cover a “limited number of products”, including its “Lightly Salted” crisps and “Seaweed Salt” flavours. Calbee also owns UK crisp brands Seabrook and Harvest Snaps.
It comes weeks after rival food maker Mizkan said it had suspended sales of four soybean-based snack brands because of a shortage of polystyrene containers.
However, some analysts in Japan suggested Calbee’s new packets were more about marketing than an imminent ink shortage.
In April, Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, said the country had secured supplies of naphtha-based chemicals to last until 2027 after sourcing from alternative suppliers, including the US.
She said: “We had previously indicated that the supply of naphtha-derived chemical products would continue for more than six months. However, it is now expected to be extended further and continue into the next year.”
Global naphtha prices were about $873 (£646) per tonne on Tuesday, climbing 4pc. Prices have shot up from below $550 per tonne before Donald Trump launched a series of strikes against Iran in February.
Source: “AOL Money”
