Japanese snacks go black-and-white: Why Iran war is driving up ink prices

Calbee will temporarily use black-and-white packaging on 14 products, including Calbee Potato Chips, because supplies needed for printing ink are constrained. The shortage is linked to the war involving Iran, which has contributed to a global supply shock. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted oil shipments, affecting Japan’s imports of naphtha, an oil derivative used to make printing ink. Calbee said the change responds to supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing Middle East tensions and aims to maintain stable product supply. The company plans to roll out the updated packaging on May 25. A government spokesperson said supply gaps are being addressed and that imports from outside the Middle East have risen sharply, while officials reported no immediate disruption for printing ink or naphtha overall.

"Tokyo-based Calbee says it would temporarily use only black and white colours on 14 of its products due to a lack of supplies needed for printing ink. The US-Israeli war on Iran is draining the colour from Japan's supermarket shelves, with the biggest crisp makers swapping once-vibrant packaging for monochrome as a result of a shortage of ink. Tokyo-based Calbee, one of the most popular brands in the snack market, has said it will at least temporarily switch to using black and white on the packaging of 14 of its products, including its Calbee Potato Chips."

"Since the end of February, when the war began, the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil is shipped during peacetime, has been effectively shut. The closure of the strait has affected Japan, which imports 40 percent of its naphtha, an oil derivative needed to make printing ink, from the Middle East. So, why is the Iran war driving up ink prices? And will crisp packets be colourful again?"

"In a statement, Calbee said its decision to switch to black-and-white packaging was a response to supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products, the company stated, adding that the new products would roll out on May 25. Asked about Calbee's move to simplify packaging to conserve materials, a government spokesperson said it was working to plug supply gaps and that imports from countries outside the Middle East were three times higher this month compared with before the war broke out at the end of February."

"We have not received any reports of immediate supply disruption for printing ink or naphtha and recognise that Japan as a whole has secured the quantities required, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato said."

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