An image from AP/NNN-NTV shows Calbee snack bags in both color and black-and-white as the company trims printing as a supply response. Calbee Inc., the Tokyo-based maker of potato chips and cereals, says the change affects packaging only — the food inside will remain the same.
Calbee announced it will simplify the printing on 14 products starting May 25, reducing the number of ink colors used to just two. The company said the move is intended to help keep product supplies stable as it adapts to shifting geopolitical conditions linked to the war in Iran.
The conflict and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed up prices and cut availability of oil-derived materials, including naphtha, a feedstock used in plastics and colored inks. Japan, which imports almost all of its oil, has been trying to calm public concern by pointing to national reserves, but some supply chains are still feeling pressure.
Calbee, founded in 1949 and employing more than 5,000 people, sells widely in Japanese convenience stores and exports to markets such as the United States, China and Australia. The company urged customers to understand the temporary packaging change while it works to maintain a steady supply of safe, high-quality products.
The difference is visible: the company’s lightly salted chips, known as “usu shio,” used to come in a bright orange bag featuring a yellow chip image and a potato-man mascot with a hat. Under the new scheme the bag uses monochrome lettering and simpler visuals. Calbee also produces other familiar snacks such as shrimp chips, or “kappa ebisen.”
Calbee had unveiled an ambitious growth strategy in March. In its recent statement the firm said it will continue to respond flexibly and promptly to changes in its operating environment, including geopolitical risks, and remains committed to keeping supplies steady. The company did not specify how long the reduced-color packaging will last.