Japanese snack giant switches to black-and-white potato chip bags as Iran war drains color from the market

(SeaPRwire) –   Japan’s leading snack manufacturer is transitioning some of its product packaging to black and white, as the conflict in Iran disrupts the supply of a crucial material used in printing inks.

Calbee, which commands half of Japan’s snack market and also operates in the U.S., announced in a press release on Tuesday that several of its potato chip lines, along with its Kappa Ebisen shrimp-flavored snacks and Frugra fruit and granola mix, will adopt monochromatic packaging. This decision is due to “supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.”

The company stated that while the products themselves will remain unchanged, this measure will be implemented for select packaging starting May 25, aiming to “help maintain a stable supply of products.”

This announcement from Calbee comes as the Iran war continues to cause disruptions across global supply chains, particularly for petroleum-based products, largely due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil passed before the war.

Despite a fragile ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and Iran last month, tensions between the two nations have recently escalated. On Monday, President Trump dismissed Iran’s latest counterproposal as “garbage” and declared the ceasefire to be “on life support.”

Calbee’s packaging challenge is partly attributed to a tightening in the supply of naphtha, a liquid hydrocarbon mixture derived from petroleum, which is utilized in plastic production and as a solvent for printing inks. Japan imports over 60% of its required naphtha, with 70% of that supply originating from the Middle East, according to the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association.

Japan’s deputy chief cabinet secretary Kei Sato informed the Financial Times that the country’s naphtha needs were being met and that the government had “not received any reports of immediate supply problems at this time.”

Nevertheless, Japanese companies have demonstrated such a strong demand for naphtha that U.S. exports of the raw material reached an unprecedented 15 million barrels in a single month in March, Bloomberg reported. Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated late last month that naphtha imports from countries outside the Middle East, such as the U.S., would triple this month to address supply needs, the Japan Times reported.

Because naphtha is used in the production of printing ink, plastics, and fertilizers, printing ink manufacturers have found themselves competing with numerous other companies for the same raw material. Consequently, the price of naphtha has climbed by about 60% year-over-year.

Due to the increased prices of oil-related raw materials, other companies besides Calbee have also been forced to make difficult decisions regarding their packaging and product lines.

Earlier this month, Hiroyuki Urata, the president of Japanese food company Itoham Yonekyu, indicated that his company might also adopt black and white packaging, stating that “colourful packaging will become difficult,” as reported by the FT.

Japanese beauty company Shiseido Co. is also reportedly considering replacing its oil-based materials with plant-derived alternatives, partly due to the naphtha shortages, Bloomberg stated. This potential shift could impact some of the company’s products, such as moisturizers or makeup.

“We are already optimizing our operations while assuming a worst-case scenario,” said Shiseido CEO Kentaro Fujiwara.