Calbee turns snack packs black and white amid Iran-linked ink supply squeeze

Japanese snack maker Calbee will temporarily replace the colorful packaging of some of its best-known products with black-and-white designs, as supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East affect materials used in printing ink.

The Tokyo-based company said Tuesday that it would use only two ink colors for the packaging of 14 products, including Potato Chips, Kappa Ebisen shrimp-flavored snacks and Frugra breakfast cereal. The revised packs are expected to hit store shelves from May 25.

Calbee said the move is intended to help secure stable product shipments amid an unstable supply of “certain raw materials” caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Printing ink relies on naphtha, a petroleum-derived material. Japan imports around 40 percent of its naphtha consumption from the Middle East, leaving manufacturers exposed to supply risks when regional tensions disrupt energy and raw material markets.

The change marks a notable shift for Calbee, whose Potato Chips are widely recognized for their bright packaging, often featuring product photos set against orange, yellow and other vivid backgrounds.

The company said the measure is temporary, though it did not specify when the original full-color packaging would return.
 

 

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