Japan's Calbee to switch some snack packs to black and white as Iran war disrupts ink supplies
Japanese snack maker Calbee says it will temporarily use black and white packaging for 14 products after supplies of an ingredient used in ink were disrupted by the Iran war.
The new-style packets are due to appear in shops in Japan from 25 May, and will cover some of the company's best-known crisps and prawn crackers.
Calbee said the change was a response to supply instability affecting raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The company said the measure was intended to help maintain a stable supply of products.
The disruption comes after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes, halting shipments through the waterway and pushing up oil and gas prices.
Supplies of naphtha, a byproduct of oil refining used in ink and plastics, have also been hit hard.
The impact is being felt beyond the energy market.
Companies in Japan and elsewhere have warned that shortages of fuel, plastics and helium are increasing business costs, while some firms have already changed prices or suspended sales.
Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary Kei Sato said the government was working to stabilise and resolve supply imbalances and bottlenecks.
