TOKYO (AP) 鈥� The packaging on some snacks in Japan is turning a somber black-and-white, as disrupts the supply of an ingredient used in colored ink.
Tokyo-based Calbee Inc., which makes potato chips and cereal, said what鈥檚 inside remains the same. Calbee’s popular snacks are available in Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores and shipped to the United States, China and Australia.
鈥淭his measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products,鈥� it said in a statement this week.
The change on 14 products in its lineup will start May 25, limiting ink colors to just two, the company said, noting it was necessary to respond flexibly to changing geopolitical conditions.
How long the change might last remains unclear, according to Calbee, founded in 1949. The Calbee group employs more than 5,000 people.
The move is the latest as companies grapple with spiking prices and shortages of oil and other products caused by the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan, which relies almost entirely on imports for its oil, has so far ridden out the worries relatively calmly, as the government has worked to allay such fears by noting the nation鈥檚 oil reserves.
But it’s still facing a squeeze on naphtha, an oil-derived product that’s used in items like plastics and ink.
There鈥檚 no mistaking the stark change in the chip鈥檚 packaging.
Calbee鈥檚 lightly salted chips, known as 鈥渦su shio,鈥� originally came in a bright-orange bag with an image of yellow chips and a potato-man mascot wearing a hat.
The new packaging just has monochrome lettering.
The company, which also makes shrimp chips, or 鈥渒appa ebisen,鈥� had just announced an ambitious growth strategy in March.
鈥淐albee 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鈥憅uality products,鈥� it said. 鈥淲e ask for your understanding.鈥�
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Yuri Kageyama is on Threads:
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