Popular Japanese chips to hit shelves in monochrome packs amid naphtha shortage
Calbee Inc., Japan’s leading potato chips producer, will begin selling some of its products in black‑and‑white packaging due to a shortage of oil‑derived naphtha linked to the Middle East conflict, sources said Monday, Kyodo reported.
Naphtha, widely used as a solvent in printing inks, has become harder to secure. Calbee has already informed retailers of the packaging change, according to industry sources.
The simplified design will be applied to flagship products such as Potato Chips Lightly Salted and Consomme Punch, with shipments starting in late May.
A recent survey conducted in late April by an industry and consumer association revealed that more than 70 percent of around 100 companies expect to raise prices if naphtha supply concerns continue.
Earlier, it was reported that global food commodity prices increased in April for the third consecutive month, driven by higher energy costs and disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East,