Japan Snack Giant Calbee Strips Color From Packaging as Iran War Drains Ink Supplies

Tokyo-based snack giant Calbee announced on Tuesday May 12, 2026 that it will temporarily switch the packaging of 14 of its best-selling products to a two-color black and white design, citing an unstable supply of raw materials linked to the ongoing Iran war that began in late February 2026.

The new monochrome packs will start appearing on Japanese store shelves from May 25, 2026, replacing the bright orange and yellow designs that have long characterized brands such as Potato Chips, Kappa Ebisen shrimp crackers and the Frugra breakfast cereal range. Calbee said the design change is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products while the global ink shortage persists.

Printing ink relies heavily on naphtha, a petroleum-derived feedstock that has been in short supply since the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggered a global energy crisis. Around 20 percent of the world's oil supply has been disrupted since the conflict broke out, leaving Asian manufacturers particularly exposed. Japan imports roughly 40 percent of its naphtha consumption from the Middle East, making the country's packaging and chemical industries vulnerable to prolonged Gulf tensions.

The Japanese government has tried to reassure consumers that no immediate supply disruption has been reported for printing ink or naphtha at the national level. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato said domestic naphtha refining continues using stockpiled crude oil, while imports from outside the Middle East have tripled in May 2026 compared with pre-war levels. The government said Japan has secured the quantities required, although industry observers note that price pressures and logistics constraints continue to weigh on smaller manufacturers.

Calbee's decision follows a string of similar disruptions across the Japanese food sector since the war began. In March 2026, a rival snack maker briefly paused production of a popular crisps brand due to difficulties sourcing the heavy oil needed to run its factory, sparking short-lived panic buying among Japanese consumers. On May 1, 2026, food group Mizkan suspended sales of certain fermented soybean products and raised prices on others, blaming a shortage of polystyrene containers tied to the same naphtha crunch.

For Calbee, the packaging change marks a notable visual shift. Its Potato Chips line is widely recognized for vivid product photography set against bright orange, yellow and other vivid background colors, and the move to a monochrome design represents one of the most visible consumer-facing examples of how the Iran war is reshaping everyday goods in Japan. The company has not announced when it expects to return to its standard packaging, stating only that the measure will remain in place while raw material conditions stay unstable.

Industry analysts say more Japanese manufacturers are preparing similar contingency steps. Several food and beverage groups are reportedly reviewing the use of multi-color printing, secondary packaging and plastic wrappings as naphtha derivatives become harder and more expensive to procure. With the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz showing no clear sign of resolution, the squeeze on ink and packaging materials is expected to broaden further across consumer goods in the coming weeks.