Japanese snack packages turning black-and-white as Iran war depletes ink supply

"Calbee Inc., which makes potato chips and cereal, said what's inside remains the same. Calbee's popular snacks are available in Japan's ubiquitous convenience stores and shipped to the United States, China and Australia. "This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products," it said in a statement this week. The change on 14 products in its lineup will start May 25, limiting ink colors to just two, the company said, noting it was necessary to respond flexibly to changing geopolitical conditions."

"How long the change might last remains unclear, according to Calbee, founded in 1949. The Calbee group employs more than 5,000 people. The move is the latest as companies grapple with spiking prices and shortages of oil and other products caused by the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Japan, which relies almost entirely on imports for its oil, has so far ridden out the worries relatively calmly, as the government has worked to allay such fears by noting the nation's oil reserves."

"But it's still facing a squeeze on naphtha, an oil-derived product that's used in items like plastics and ink. There's no mistaking the stark change in the chip's packaging. Calbee's lightly salted chips, known as "usu shio," originally came in a bright-orange bag with an image of yellow chips and a potato-man mascot wearing a hat. The new packaging just has monochrome lettering."

""Calbee will continue to respond flexibly and promptly to changes in its operating environment, including geopolitical risks, and remains committed to maintaining a stable supply of safe, highquality products," it said. "We ask for your understa"

Calbee Inc. will change the packaging of 14 products starting May 25, using only two ink colors. The change is intended to maintain stable supply amid disruption of an ingredient used in colored ink linked to the war in Iran. The snacks’ contents will remain the same, and the company will continue shipping products to markets including the United States, China, and Australia. The packaging shift is described as a monochrome move, such as replacing bright orange and yellow imagery with monochrome lettering. Calbee says the duration is unclear and that it will respond flexibly to changing geopolitical conditions while maintaining safe, high-quality products.

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