From May 25th, curious packs of crisps in white, black and gray will begin to appear on Japanese shelves, without colors and without the typical bright graphics that characterize similar items, there will only be the name of the product on a neutral background. The choice made by Calbee, the largest snack producer in Japan, is not an aesthetic choice, as we learned from the official press release dated May 12th: the decision to reduce the packaging of fourteen product variants to just two colors (including Potato Chips in classic flavours, Kappa Ebisen and Frugra cereal) came due to “instability in the supply of some raw materials” linked to tensions in the Middle East.
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The issue is naphtha, a petroleum derivative used in the production of printing inks. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the busiest energy corridors in the world, the availability of this material on the Asian market has contracted, driving up prices and complicating supplies. Companies that depend on elaborate packaging are finding themselves dealing with a supply chain that suddenly can no longer handle the usual volumes.
Which products change appearance
Calbee’s press release precisely lists the products involved and the dates of introduction into stores. The Potato Chips in the 55, 70 and 160 gram formats (Lightly Salted, Consomme Punch, Consomme Double Punch and Seaweed Salt flavors) will begin the transition from the week of May 25th, distributed both in large-scale retail trade and in national convenience stores. Same calendar for Kappa Ebisen (77 g) and Frugra (330 g and 700 g). The Kataage Potato, in light savory and black pepper flavors, will follow starting June 22nd.
The company specified that the change will only concern the packaging and will not affect in any way the quality or recipe of the products.
An operational response, not a brand problem
The line adopted by Calbee is quite clear, it is not a cost cut or a restyling, but a measure to “maintain a stable supply of products” in a geopolitical context that has made raw materials for printing more difficult to find. As for the future, the company has not indicated when, or if, it intends to return to colored packaging.
Founded in 1949, Calbee has over five thousand employees and operating offices in the United States, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and the United Kingdom, and it is no coincidence that its chips are among the best-selling in the whole of Japan. The black and white boxes that will arrive in stores in less than two weeks tell, in their own way, something about the fragility of global supply chains, a situation that does not spare even snack manufacturers.
