The first casualty of war, they say, is truth. But in the retail aisles of Britain, it is colour. A major snack manufacturer, whose name sources confirm is one of the top three in the nation, has quietly switched its entire packaging line to monochrome. Black and white. The reason? Ink shortages triggered by the escalating conflict in Iran.

Documents obtained by this desk reveal that the company’s supply of petroleum-based pigments, the very stuff that turns crisp packets into screaming reds and golds, has been cut by 60 per cent since the Strait of Hormuz became a no-go zone for commercial shipping. The company’s chief procurement officer, in an internal memo dated last Tuesday, wrote: “We are activating contingency protocols. Black and white only. No exceptions.”

The news comes as the Ministry of Defence confirms that UK strategic reserves of printing ink remain untouched. A spokesperson told me: “The government maintains robust supplies of essential materials. There is no current plan to release from contingency stocks.” But the question that hangs over Whitehall like a pall of smoke: why not?

Industry insiders say the snack giant is not alone. Two other major food producers are understood to be weeks away from similar measures. The British Retail Consortium declined to comment, but a senior source within the body said: “We are monitoring the situation closely. This is a supply chain issue, not a shortage of food.”

Critics say that is a fine distinction when the very packaging that preserves freshness and provides product information is compromised. “If this becomes widespread, you will see bare shelves not because there is no food, but because the manufacturers cannot legally sell it without the right label,” said a former trading standards officer.

The Iran war, which has already disrupted oil markets and sent fuel prices soaring, is now reaching into the mundane but critical arteries of consumer goods. Printers across Europe are scrambling for alternative sources of pigment. China, the other major producer, has hiked prices by 300 per cent since the start of the conflict.

The snack company’s move is a canary in the coal mine. If the ink runs dry, the entire system of packaged goods, from biscuits to pharmaceuticals, could face a crisis of identification. The government insists its contingency reserves are available only for “essential national security needs.” But as one logistics expert put it: “What is more essential than food that people can recognise?”

Sources confirm that the Ministry of Defence has been approached by the Department for Business and Trade to assess the feasibility of releasing a portion of the ink reserve for commercial use. No decision has been made. Meanwhile, the snack giant’s shareholders are reportedly furious at the unadvertised change, which they fear will damage brand recognition.

The first black-and-white packets began appearing on shelves in the Midlands this morning. Customers have complained they look like funeral notices. The company has not commented. We will be following this story as it develops.