Japanese snack manufacturer Calbee is replacing the colorful packaging of several flagship products with black-and-white designs [1].
This shift highlights how geopolitical instability in the Middle East can disrupt the global supply chain for basic industrial materials, affecting consumer goods as far away as Tokyo supermarkets.
Calbee said on May 12 [2] that it would change the packaging for some of its main products, including its potato chips [2]. The company said that the procurement of printing ink has become unstable because the ink is made from naphtha [3].
According to company data, 14 products have been switched to the monochrome design [4]. The rollout of these new packages began the week of May 25 [4].
Before the official announcement, the first black-and-white versions of Kappa Ebisen were spotted in Tokyo supermarkets [5]. Earlier tests of the packaging were also conducted in Sapporo convenience stores [5].
A reporter for TBS NEWS DIG said that while most snack aisles are bright with yellow and orange, the Kappa Ebisen stands out in black and white [5].
Other manufacturers, including Fujiya, have also been mentioned in relation to similar packaging changes [1]. The move is intended to ensure a stable supply of snacks to retail outlets nationwide despite the volatile ink market [3].
“The procurement of printing ink has become unstable because the ink is made from naphtha.”
The transition to monochrome packaging serves as a visible indicator of 'resource nationalism' and supply chain fragility. Because naphtha is a petroleum derivative, the instability of Middle Eastern oil and chemical exports directly impacts the aesthetics of consumer branding. By stripping color from its packaging, Calbee is prioritizing product availability over brand identity to avoid empty shelves during a raw material crisis.
