Calbee goes monochrome amid Middle East supply crisis

Japanese snack brand Calbee will switch its flagship potato chip packaging to black-and-white due to Middle East tensions disrupting supplies of printing ink and other raw materials.

Expected to arrive in stores from 25 May, a total of 14 product variants, including potato chips, Kappa Ebisen prawn crackers, and Frugra breakfast cereal, will be subject to the change, with packaging limited to just two ink colours.

According to its notice, Calbee said the measure is intended to help maintain a stable product supply, emphasising that the change applies only to a limited number of products and will not affect product quality.

“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, high‑quality products,” the notice reads.

The announcement has sparked shock and discussion among netizens on social media platforms such as X, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE  confirmed. A number of netizens said the new measure of switching Calbee's packaging to black and white may make the oil shortage tangible and visible to the public, which seems like a good idea. 

Meanwhile, some have even used AI to imagine products on Japanese store shelves gradually "turning black and white".

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Calbee for more information. 

Don’t miss: Oil, outrage and opportunity: The US‑Iran war's shockwaves through the Philippines

Since the US and Israel launched a joint military strike against Iran, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has remained disrupted, leading to a spot shortage of naphtha in Asia, with prices nearly doubling from pre-war levels.

Asian countries rely heavily on the Middle East for oil, and the shipping crisis in the Gulf has hit them hard. Japan, for example, got over 90% of its crude oil and 70% of its naphtha from the region before the conflict. In March, Japan's crude oil imports dropped 30% from the previous month to about 52 million barrels-their lowest level since 2013.

The impact is also spilling into other industries. In early May, Japanese foodmaker Mizkan suspended some products and raised prices for others after running short of polystyrene containers for its fermented soybean snacks.

Furthermore, The Philippines, declared a national energy emergency in March. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made the Philippines the first country in the world to issue such a declaration, citing the "imminent danger" the conflict poses to the nation's energy supply. Disruptions in the Middle East, including the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route, have roiled world oil markets and strained supply chains.

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