TOKYO — A major Japanese snack manufacturer is making a drastic visual change to its product packaging, a visible ripple effect of geopolitical unrest in the Middle East that is disrupting global supply chains. Tokyo-based Calbee Inc., the producer of best-selling potato chips, cereals, and shrimp chips, has announced it will shift 14 of its core products to simple black-and-white packaging starting May 25, a shift driven by shortages of raw materials for colored ink linked to the ongoing war in Iran.
Calbee confirmed in an official statement that the product itself — the flavor, quality, and formulation that has made its lines like lightly salted “usu shio” potato chips and “kappa ebisen” shrimp chips household staples across Japan and export markets including the U.S., China, and Australia — remains unchanged. The drastic packaging adjustment is purely a proactive measure to preserve consistent product availability for consumers.
The supply disruption traces back to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint, amid the Iran conflict. The unrest has already pushed up global prices for energy and raw materials and triggered widespread supply crunches across multiple industries. Japan, which relies on 100% imported oil to meet its energy needs, is particularly exposed to these shifts. Naphtha, a petroleum-derived product critical to manufacturing everything from plastics to colored printing ink, is among the commodities facing tight supplies.
While Japanese officials have moved to calm public anxiety by pointing to the nation’s ample strategic oil reserves, Calbee’s packaging change serves as a stark, public reminder of the ongoing supply chain disruptions. Previously, the iconic usu shio potato chip line featured a bright orange bag accented with yellow graphics of potato slices and the brand’s friendly potato mascot in a signature hat. The reworked packaging will swap all vibrant colors for simple monochrome text.
Founded in 1949, Calbee employs more than 5,000 workers across its group operations and had only announced an ambitious corporate growth strategy back in March. The company says it remains unclear how long the monochrome packaging adjustment will need to stay in place, as the timeline for resolving the geopolitical tensions disrupting supply remains uncertain.
“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 in its statement. “We ask for your understanding from consumers for this temporary change.”