[srs5694]

What I don't understand is Fuji's official reason, which I read was to do with the banning of a component in the manufacture of the backing paper - if that is the case why have they not stopped production of all 120 size films? Surely Acros and the various colour films use the same backing paper.

I seem to recall a similar explanation being bandied about a few years back when Fuji discontinued Velvia 50. Within a year or so, they started manufacturing it again, presumably with a slightly tweaked formulation. If I ever heard an explanation of precisely what happened, I don't recall what it was. It's conceivable that history will repeat itself for Neopan 400, but I wouldn't count on it.

As to the question you pose, I recall hearing that backing papers need to be tested against specific films, because the two can interact and produce bad effects. If my information (and memory) are correct, then, it's conceivable that the backing paper for Neopan 400 may have been different from other Fuji backing papers. Note, however, that I have no priviledged knowledge; I'm just speculating.