In a world at war, your chip packets are now also black and white
The colour may be gone, but the crunch will stay. That is the resolve of Calbee, a Japanese snack maker known as much for its colourful packaging as for the taste of its shrimp chips and potato sticks. With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz experiencing severe disruption and the supply of hydrocarbons and specialised industrial minerals, among the hardest hit is the supermarket’s munchies aisle — largely because the packaging for these products, dependent on petroleum-derived chemicals, is becoming more difficult to manufacture. Calbee’s workaround — it has been hit by a shortage of printing ink — is to go black and white.
Even before the war hit the supply of pigment categories like Phthalocyanine blues and greens and Azo reds, oranges and yellows, the great colour disruption was underway. Whether because of climate change, geopolitical upheavals or the Covid disruption, global supply chains for paints and inks were being reshaped by sudden shortages.
In a world wobbling under the weight of war, small disruptions can feel catastrophic. Perhaps there is something reassuring in the continued, albeit transformed, availability of snacks. Yet, it is also a fact that colour theory has long been used to guide consumer behaviour. Calbee’s solution may work for the moment, but the desaturation of its vibrant red and yellow packaging may just reshape consumer behaviour in ways that crunch cannot offset: When the world loses colours, appetite itself begins to change.
- 1Governments worldwide face the complex challenge of ensuring stable supply chains for essential goods, even seemingly minor ones like snack packaging, amidst global disruptions. This necessitates robust governance frameworks that include strategic resource planning, diplomatic engagement to secure trade routes, and proactive policies to mitigate the impact of geopolitical events on domestic markets. India, for instance, has increasingly focused on supply chain resilience through initiatives like the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' mission, aiming to reduce dependence on volatile global markets and protect consumer interests.
- 2The article highlights how geopolitical tensions and conflicts, exemplified by disruptions in critical maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, directly impact global supply chains for even basic consumer goods. Such events underscore the intricate link between international relations and economic stability, where foreign policy decisions and regional conflicts have far-reaching consequences on global trade and resource availability. India's foreign policy, therefore, often prioritises maintaining open sea lanes and fostering stable international partnerships to safeguard its economic interests and ensure uninterrupted access to vital imports.
- 3The shift to monochrome packaging by Calbee, driven by supply chain disruptions, brings into focus various legal and regulatory considerations concerning product labeling and consumer information. While temporary changes might be permissible under specific circumstances, regulatory bodies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) typically mandate clear, accurate, and non-misleading product packaging to protect consumer interests. Furthermore, policies promoting sustainable packaging and circular economy principles gain urgency, as reliance on petroleum-derived chemicals for inks and plastics highlights environmental vulnerabilities and the need for regulatory foresight.
- 4Economically, the article illustrates the fragility of global supply chains and the ripple effect of geopolitical events on production costs and consumer prices, even for seemingly minor inputs like printing ink. Socially, the desaturation of vibrant packaging highlights the profound impact of aesthetics and branding on consumer psychology, where visual cues significantly influence purchasing decisions and perceived product value. Scientifically, this situation underscores the critical dependence on specific chemical compounds, like petroleum-derived pigments, revealing vulnerabilities in industrial processes and prompting innovation towards more resilient and sustainable material science solutions.