Chips Packaging Turns Black-and-White Due to Iran War Impact, How Come?
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The impact of the war in Iran is now reaching snack shelves in Japan. Renowned Japanese snack producer Calbee has decided to change its potato chip packaging to black and white due to the raw material crisis for ink.
Japanese media report that the packaging change will begin in the next two weeks. This step is taken because of the shortage of naphtha, a crude oil derivative used in the production of printing ink for plastic packaging.
Naphtha itself is one of the commodities affected by energy volatility due to the Iran conflict. This material is widely used in the petrochemical industry, from plastics and inks to various other manufacturing products.
CNBC International reports that Calbee’s packaging change is a tangible symbol of how war and global energy crises are beginning to hit the daily lives of people in Japan.
“There is no day without news of companies having to make adjustments,” said Kaori Enjoji from CNBC International, quoted on Wednesday (13/5/2026).
She explained that many companies in Japan are now facing rising production costs. Not only the snack industry, but prices for bread packaging plastics and various other needs are also surging.
This situation is seen as revealing a “blind spot” in Japan’s energy policy. Although the country has crude oil reserves, the naphtha supply is said to be insufficient to support domestic industrial needs.
Naphtha is an important component in various strategic sectors. In addition to inks and plastics, this material is also used in the automotive, agriculture, and medical equipment industries.
This crisis is a serious concern because Japan is a country with an ageing population that is highly dependent on industrial supply chains and health products.
In the CNBC report, the situation is even said to be in stark contrast to praise for Japan’s economic resilience from US officials.
“Come here and ask the people, they will give a very different story,” said Enjoji.