Japanese snack maker Calbee will switch the packaging of 14 flagship products to black-and-white monochrome by the end of May, citing disrupted supplies of naphtha, an ink ingredient derived from petroleum. The company said it was reacting to an unstable supply of certain raw materials due to the war.

Japan relies on imports from the Middle East for about 40% of its naphtha consumption used in printing ink. Domestic naphtha refining continued in May using stockpiled crude oil, and the country's imports of naphtha from outside the Middle East tripled in May compared with levels before late February.

Kei Sato, a senior government spokesperson, addressed the supply situation. "Adequate supplies of the naptha ink ingredient have been secured for important functions in Japan. We are working with major corporations to ensure naptha is imported by routes other than through the strait of Hormuz," Sato said. He added: "We have not received any reports of immediate supply disruption for printing ink or naphtha and recognise that Japan as a whole has secured the quantities required."

Calbee's shares fell by more than 1% following news of the packaging change, while the Nikkei 225 Index was up overall on the same day. News of the move to black-and-white packaging made headlines across Japan.

Calbee was founded in Hiroshima in 1949 and recorded sales of 322.5 billion yen in 2025. Its products are sold across Asia, Europe and the United States. The company acquired the UK's Seabrook Crisps in 2018.