Japan’s biggest crisp-maker is stripping the colour from its famous packets as the US-Israeli war on Iran is disrupting supplies of petroleum-derived printing materials. Calbee said on Tuesday that 14 of its products, including the flagship potato chips, Kappa Ebisen prawn crackers, and Frugra cereal, were temporarily getting monochrome packaging from 25 May because of “ supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East ”. The company said the move was meant to “help maintain a stable supply of products” and would not affect the quality or safety of the food. The visual change, however, is striking in itself. The vivid reds, yellows, and greens long associated with Calbee’s crisp packets will be replaced by grayscale designs, making some of Japan’s most recognisable supermarket products look almost unfinished. Calbee was started in 1949 in Hiroshima as the city recovered from its atomic bombing by the US.…