The Iran war has brought consequences for food makers in Japan. A shortage of a product needed to make ink has caused companies to change the design of food wrapping. One major snack manufacturer is changing its packaging from colour to black and white. The company sells some of Japan's best-selling potato chips. A spokesperson said some products will come with a message that explains: "Packaged to save oil-related materials." Meanwhile, a Japanese ketchup maker will make parts of its wrapping transparent in a bid to deal with the ink shortage.
Tensions in the Middle East have led to a shortage of a hydrocarbon called naphtha. This is a component in the production of plastics and printing ink. It is made from crude oil. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has assured people that Japan will have enough naphtha to last beyond this year. She said actions would be taken to ensure the supply. These include increasing domestic production and importing more from other countries. However, the snack maker said: "Depending on how the situation evolves, we anticipate the possibility of additional impacts arising."
Try the same news story at these levels:
Food Wrapping - Level 4 or Food Wrapping - Level 6
Sources- https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16557789
- https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260430_17/
- https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260514/p2g/00m/0bu/043000c
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