Overview
- Calbee said it will temporarily print 14 snack lines in only two colors, with gray bags replacing the usual bright designs.
- The company cited uncertainty over raw materials and tighter supplies of packaging ink linked to naphtha.
- Itoham Yonekyu said it may switch to different inks or black-and-white packaging for some items.
- Vice Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato said Japan sees no immediate shortfall in printing ink or naphtha and that importers are using routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
- The squeeze traces to Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since late February, which reduced oil flows, raised prices, and showed how energy shocks can reach everyday goods.