Bye-bye black & white! Calbee is bringing colour back to its famous snack packs — one bag at a time

TOKYO, July 9 — Calbee’s brief black-and-white era is almost over.

The Japanese snack giant has announced it will start bringing back its signature colourful packaging later this month after supply concerns that prompted the temporary switch began to ease.

The company had announced the monochrome makeover on May 12, citing uncertainty over the supply of printing materials as tensions in the Middle East disrupted the availability of petroleum-based printing ink.

Now, with its procurement outlook improving, Calbee says it will gradually restore full-colour printing to the front of selected products while continuing to conserve resources.

The first batch includes eight products, among them its best-selling Potato Chips, Kappa Ebisen shrimp crackers and Frugra breakfast cereal.

Production of the updated packs will begin in phases from the week of July 27, with the refreshed products reaching Japanese store shelves from early August.

The first to regain their colours will be Frugra in 330g and 700g packs, which will return with full-colour printing on both the front and back.

Kappa Ebisen follows during the week of August 3, while several Potato Chips varieties, including Lightly Salted, Consomme Punch, Consomme Double Punch and Seaweed Salt, will roll out from the weeks of August 10 and August 24, depending on where they are sold.

Calbee said restoring colour to the front of its packs was a priority because it helps shoppers quickly recognise products and understand key information while browsing supermarket shelves.

The backs of most packages, however, will remain in black and white for now as the company continues to keep ink usage in check.

Calbee said it will continue monitoring global supply conditions – including geopolitical developments – while balancing resource conservation with keeping its snack aisles stocked.

The company did not say whether snack packs sold outside Japan were ever affected by the temporary switch to monochrome packaging or if any changes would be made in overseas markets.

For snack lovers, though, it means those familiar bright bags will soon be back on shelves looking much more like themselves.