12.05.2026 10:10
Rising oil prices and the naphtha crisis following the Iran war have begun to affect the food industry. Calbee, the Japanese snack giant, announced that it will switch to black-and-white packaging for some of its products due to ink supply difficulties. It is noted that similar steps could become widespread in the industry.
Japanese snack manufacturer Calbee has made a striking decision due to raw material shortages following tensions in the Middle East. The company announced that it will switch to black-and-white designs on the packaging of some popular products, including potato chips.
The decision will apply to 14 products being shipped from May 25.
INK SUPPLY CRISIS
According to Nikkei Asia's report; the rise in oil prices after the US and Israel's attacks on Iran directly affected the petrochemical sector. Difficulties in the supply of naphtha, the raw material for solvents and resins used in ink production, created a crisis in the packaging industry.
Calbee explained the inability to stably procure raw materials as "tensions in the Middle East."
COLORFUL PACKAGING COULD BECOME A THING OF THE PAST
The company aims to prevent the impact from growing by limiting the change to products with high sales volumes. However, industry representatives note that similar practices could become widespread.
Hiroyuki Urata, President of food manufacturer Itoham Yonekyu Holdings, also stated in his remarks, "The sustainability of colorful packaging will become difficult in the future." Urata said that packaging could become simpler and black-and-white.
OTHER COMPANIES ALSO START TAKING ACTION
Not only Calbee but also other manufacturers have moved to reduce packaging costs. It was reported that a medium-sized beverage producer decided to remove some of the packaging prints for 15 probiotic drink products it manufactures for major brands.