Calbee, the Japanese snack giant, has temporarily switched 14 of its best-known products into black-and-white packaging, including its flagship potato chips and Kappa Ebisen snacks. The move signals an industry-wide vulnerability few consumers ever see: the snack aisle depends almost entirely on naphtha, a petroleum-derived chemical that sits inside inks, films, coatings and adhesives that modern flexible food packaging requires.
The brightly coloured snack bag has become central to how brands compete on shelf. The deep red of KitKat, the electric orange of Doritos, the metallic finishes used by Pringles, Takis and Cheetos all do much of the selling before a consumer reaches for the product. So Calbee's monochrome shift feels strikingly out of step.
What is naphtha and why it matters
Naphtha is a volatile hydrocarbon mixture primarily refined from crude oil and natural gas condensates. Petrochemical crackers use it to produce ethylene, propylene and benzene, the foundational building blocks for plastics, synthetic fibres, solvents and industrial chemicals. A standard crisp packet is no longer a simple plastic bag. Modern flexible packaging combines multiple layers designed to block oxygen, resist moisture, preserve freshness and survive transport. Printed outer films, adhesive laminates and protective coatings all rely, in different ways, on petrochemical derivatives.
Exposure in Asia and Japan
Japan imports a substantial portion of its naphtha from the Middle East, with roughly 40% normally arriving from the region now affected by shipping disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are particularly exposed because many petrochemical plants were built around naphtha cracking rather than the ethane-heavy systems more common in the US.
Risk to the broader food industry
Global food manufacturers including PepsiCo, Mondelez, Mars, Nestlé and Kellanov, alongside Japanese snack giants such as Meiji, Ezaki Glico and Yamazaki Baking, all rely heavily on flexible plastic packaging somewhere within their portfolios. While no widespread packaging disruption has yet been reported across the sector, prolonged pressure on naphtha-linked supply chains could eventually create challenges around packaging availability, print complexity and raw material costs.
The problem for manufacturers is not simply supply. It is volatility. Naphtha prices swing sharply during geopolitical crises because they sit at the intersection of crude oil markets, refining margins and petrochemical demand. When conflict disrupts shipping routes or refinery operations, downstream sectors feel the impact rapidly.
What happens next
For now, most companies will likely treat the issue as temporary disruption management. That could mean fewer speciality finishes, reduced colour complexity, smaller promotional print runs and delayed limited-edition packaging launches. Larger multinational brands may absorb higher packaging costs more comfortably through long-term supplier agreements, while smaller manufacturers and private label suppliers could face sharper pressure.
If petrochemical volatility becomes prolonged, the industry could face uncomfortable choices between branding intensity, packaging complexity, sustainability targets and cost control. Simplified packaging, reduced print complexity and higher material costs could become more common across the wider food sector.
The regulatory background
Naphtha-linked materials used in food packaging are subject to strict safety oversight across major global markets, including Europe, the US and Asia. In the EU, packaging materials that may come into contact with food fall under Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, supported by Good Manufacturing Practice rules. The European system uses industry guidance from the European Printing Ink Association and national systems such as Switzerland's ink ordinance. The US regulates food-contact materials through FDA oversight of indirect food additives. Across Asia, countries including Japan, China and South Korea regulate food-contact materials through national safety standards.