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Japanese snacks go black-and-white: Why Iran war is driving up ink prices

Al Jazeera · · 809 words · By Al Jazeera Staff
Global Supply Chain Disruption Geopolitical Conflict Economic Impact on Consumer Goods
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/14/japanese-snacks-go-black-and-white-why-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Causal Oversimplification 60% confidence
Assuming a single cause for a complex issue.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

16 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

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schedule Pending 6
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
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“Tokyo-based Calbee says it would temporarily use only black and white colours on 14 of its products due to a lack of supplies needed for printing ink.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that Calbee is switching 14 product types to black-and-white packaging due to ink supply instability caused by the war in Iran.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Calbee, Inc. (カルビー株式会社, Karubī Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese snack food maker. It was founded on 30 April 1949, and its headquarters are located in the Marunouchi Trust Tower Main in Marunouchi, Chi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calbee
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Honey Butter Chips (Korean: 허니버터칩) is a brand of fried potato chips manufactured by Haitai Calbee and sold in South Korea. The snacks were first made available in August 2014, and they are renowned fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_Butter_Chips
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jagarico is a family of salty snack products made primarily from processed fried potatoes. Introduced in 1995 by Calbee, Jagarico could be described as rod-shaped potato chips. According to Barabara Z…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagarico
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“The US-Israeli war on Iran is draining the colour from Japan’s supermarket shelves”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources link the US-Israeli war on Iran to oil/naphtha shortages, which in turn are causing the packaging changes at Calbee and other Japanese companies like Toto.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran, starting the 2026 Iran war. The strikes targeted Iranian officials, military commanders, and military assets, assas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Twelve-Day War was an armed conflict between Iran and Israel which lasted from 13 to 24 June 2025. It began when Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack, assassi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Day_War
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Since the end of February, when the war began, the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil is shipped during peacetime, has been effectively shut.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is confirmed by a cross-reference from The Guardian, a Wikipedia entry on the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, and a web search result stating the strait was closed on March 2 following the February 28 war start.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 19 March 2026, the United States began an aerial campaign against Iranian targets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz following its closure by Iran in response to the attacks by the United States and Is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_campaign
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
+ 4 more evidence sources
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“one-fifth of the world’s oil is shipped [through the Strait of Hormuz] during peacetime”
CORROBORATED
Three independent cross-references (France24, Al Jazeera x2) all state that 20% (one-fifth) of the world's oil/LNG is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz during peacetime.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kingdom of Hormuz (also known as Hormoz or, archaically, Ormus; Persian: هرمز; Portuguese: Ormuz) was a kingdom ruled by a dynasty of southern Arab origin. It was located in the eastern side of th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Hormuz
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Japan, which imports 40 percent of its naphtha, an oil derivative needed to make printing ink, from the Middle East.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent news sources (BBC News and The Guardian) explicitly state that Japan imports approximately 40% of its naphtha from the Middle East.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Before the war, around 40% of Japan's naphtha was imported from the Middle East, Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary Kei Sato told reporters on Tuesday.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78k405j8pdo?at_medium=RSS…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Printing ink requires naphtha, an oil derivative for which Japan relies on imports from the Middle East for about 40% of its consumption.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/12/calbee-japan-s…
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“the new products would roll out on May 25.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results specifically mention that Calbee's black-and-white packaging was starting May 25.
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web search NEUTRAL — Calbee’s Potato Chip Bags Turn Black-and-White on Iran War Ink Shortage. Packets of Calbee Inc. potato chips in the new black and white packaging.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-12/ink-short…
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web search NEUTRAL — The food giant Calbee said shortages of naphtha, a crude-oil derivative used in inks, were forcing it to switch to black-and-white packaging for its salty products.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/world/asia/calbee-japan-b…
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web search NEUTRAL — Calbee’s packaging predicament is partly due to a tightening in the supply of naphtha, a liquid hydrocarbon mixture derived from petroleum that is used in plastic production and as a printing ink solv…
https://fortune.com/2026/05/12/japanese-snack-giant-calbee-b…
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“imports from countries outside the Middle East were three times higher this month compared with before the war broke out at the end of February.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms naphtha shortages and the 40% import figure from the Middle East, none of the provided evidence mentions that imports from outside the Middle East increased 'three times higher' this month.
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web search NEUTRAL — Japan gets 70% of its total imports of naphtha, a petroleum-based material used in printing inks, from the Middle East.
https://fortune.com/2026/05/12/japanese-snack-giant-calbee-b…
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web search NEUTRAL — Japan relies heavily on imported naphtha, making it especially vulnerable to supply disruptions. In recent weeks, companies including toilet maker Toto and Panasonic have warned of delivery disruption…
https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-calbee-potato-chip-bla…
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web search NEUTRAL — Japan imports around 40% of its naphtha from the Middle East, making its manufacturing sector highly exposed to fluctuations in oil and petrochemical supply chains.
https://akhbar.com/en/news/oil-shortage-forces-japanese-snac…
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“US-based Sun Chemical, a major global producer of ink and related products, said rising raw-material, logistics and energy costs were forcing broad increases across product lines.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms Sun Chemical's general business and that FMCG firms are increasing prices, but there is no specific quote or report from Sun Chemical itself confirming this exact statement in the provided text.
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web search NEUTRAL — Sun Chemical manufactures inks, pigments and advanced materials for a wide range of industries, including packaging and graphic solutions, color and display technologies, and more.
https://www.sunchemical.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — The Global Market Overview of the North America Chemical Logistics Market offers a unique insight into the key trends shaping the market both in major regions and worldwide during the period from 2026…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/north-america-chemical-logist…
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web search NEUTRAL — FMCG Firms May Increase Price Due To THESE Reasons. - According to leading FMCG companies, ongoing tensions in the Middle East have disrupted global supply chains, leading to increased costs for raw m…
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/india/soaps-detergents-and-bi…
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“Germany-based Hubergroup, also announced a hike in prices due to key components experiencing “substantial cost increases” because of supply constraints.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results explicitly state that hubergroup is raising prices in Europe due to substantial cost increases of key components like resins and solvents caused by the Middle East conflict.
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web search NEUTRAL — Key components such as resins, solvents, pigments, and additives have experienced substantial cost increases due to constrained availability, elevated freight rates, and reduced production capacities …
https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/1188322/hubergroup-is-rai…
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web search NEUTRAL — Key components such as resins, solvents, pigments, and additives have experienced substantial cost increases due to constrained availability, elevated freight rates, and reduced production capacities …
https://www.earthisland.co.uk/single-post/hubergroup-adjusts…
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web search NEUTRAL — Supply chain disruptions and increases in freight costs have also added complexity and expenses.Our energy costs, personnel expenses and bureaucratic conditions have to improve substantially. Ink Worl…
https://www.inkworldmagazine.com/exclusives/ink-world-interv…
verified
“Printing inks rely heavily on petrochemical feedstocks, including solvents and resins derived from naphtha, a crude oil by-product.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and technical handbooks confirm that petroleum naphtha is a crude oil by-product used as a feedstock for solvents and resins used in industrial chemicals/inks.
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web search NEUTRAL — In the process, naphtha crackers convert naphtha feedstock (produced by various process) (Table 1.4) into ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, and xylenes, as well as other byproducts in a two-step …
https://www.academia.edu/44423565/Handbook_of_Petrochemical_…
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web search NEUTRAL — Petroleum naphtha is an intermediate hydrocarbon liquid stream derived from the refining of crude oil with CAS-no 64742-48-9.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_naphtha
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web search NEUTRAL — Petrochemical crackers use naphtha to produce ethylene, propylene and benzene – the foundational building blocks for plastics, synthetic fibres, solvents and industrial chemicals.
https://www.dairyreporter.com/Article/2026/05/12/iran-confli…
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“Naphtha is also used to produce plastics and synthetic rubber.”
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“It is essential for manufacturing high-octane petrol, and is an important industrial solvent used in paints and adhesives.”
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“Iran effectively blocked the strait after US-Israeli attacks began. The waterway remains blocked, despite a fragile ceasefire agreed to on April 8.”
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“Since April 13, the US has enforced a widespread naval blockade of Iranian ports and ships”
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“Another key ingredient used in printing inks and coatings is nitrocellulose.”
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“However, it is also used in military propellants and explosives”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.