Mizkan Holdings said it would?suspend sales of four of its natto products from this month due to supply constraints.

The Aichi Prefecture-based foodmaker said Friday that prolonged geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have driven up prices and heightened supply risks for naphtha, a key feedstock used in petrochemical products such as packaging materials.

As a result, procurement costs have increased, putting a strain on packed natto production, Mizkan said.

Separately, the company said it would?raise prices on all 19 of its natto products starting June 1, with reference retail prices, excluding tax, set to increase by between 6% and 20%.

Mizkan said it had tried to absorb the higher costs but determined that maintaining product supply under the current pricing structure had become difficult.

The company also warned that further price revisions or supply impacts could occur depending on future trends in raw material and energy costs.

Last month, the Federation of Consumer Goods Industries and Consumer¡¯s Associations, a coalition of 712 companies and groups, conducted an emergency survey of its members in response to supply concerns tied to the war in the Middle East.

The survey, conducted between April 17 to 22, found that 44% of member companies who responded to the survey were already experiencing supply issues, with the percentage expected to increase to over 75% within the next three months.

Based on the results of the survey, the group submitted a policy proposal to the trade ministry calling for measures to ensure consumers can make informed decisions to prevent the panic buying of essential goods and for the ministry to create systems that prioritize the supply of such goods.