Why Japanese snacks are turning black and white: The 2026 ‘Ink-flation’ crisis explained

Manufacturers in Japan impacted

Japan depends heavily on the Middle East for energy imports, with around 40 per cent of the country’s naphtha consumption sourced from the region. The disruption has prompted concerns among manufacturers that rely on petroleum-based materials for packaging, plastics, and chemicals.

A staff member adds stock of Calbee potato chips to a shelf at a confectionery speciality store in Tokyo, Japan. (REUTERS)

The development has drawn significant attention in Japan, where companies are already grappling with rising input costs and supply chain uncertainties. Earlier this year, a temporary halt in production of another popular crisps brand due to difficulties in procuring heavy oil had triggered a brief consumer panic.

‘Adequate supplies of naptha ink ingredient secured’

Responding to concerns, senior government spokesperson Kei Sato said Japan has sufficient reserves and is diversifying import routes to maintain supplies.

“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 in remarks broadcast as an emergency bulletin by some television networks.

“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”, he added, as mentioned in The Guardian.

Founded in Hiroshima in 1949, as the city was rebuilding after the atomic bombing, Calbee has grown into one of the world’s leading snack manufacturers, with products sold across Asia, Europe, and the United States. The company acquired the UK-based Seabrook Crisps in 2018.

Calbee reported sales of 322.5 billion yen (about $2.04 billion) in 2025. Its shares fell more than 1 per cent following the announcement, even as Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 closed higher overall.

(Written by Utkarshini Gupta, an intern at The Indian Express)