A major Japanese snack manufacturer is stripping the color from its product packaging due to supply chain disruptions stemming from the ongoing conflict in Iran.
Calbee Inc., a Tokyo-based company that produces potato chips and cereals, announced this week that it will transition 14 of its snack products to monochrome packaging starting May 25. The company emphasized that the actual food products inside remain unchanged.
“This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products,” the company stated, explaining that the decision represents a flexible response to shifting global political conditions.
The dramatic shift affects popular items sold throughout Japan’s widespread convenience store network, with products also distributed to markets in the United States, China and Australia. Calbee, established in 1949 and currently employing over 5,000 workers, has not indicated how long these packaging changes will remain in effect.
The supply shortage stems from the virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iranian war, which has driven up petroleum prices and created shortages of various materials. Among these is naphtha, an oil-derived component essential for manufacturing plastics and printing inks.
Japan’s heavy dependence on imported oil makes the country particularly vulnerable to such disruptions, though government officials have sought to calm public concerns by highlighting the nation’s strategic oil stockpiles.
The packaging transformation is particularly striking on Calbee’s lightly salted potato chips, called “usu shio,” which previously featured vibrant orange bags displaying yellow chip images and a cartoon potato mascot in a hat. The redesigned version contains only black text on a white background.
This development comes just two months after Calbee, which also produces popular shrimp-flavored snacks known as “kappa ebisen,” unveiled an aggressive expansion plan in March.
“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 company said. “We ask for your understanding.”
