Sriracha In The Hot Sauce Over Factory Fumes
Foodie fans of Sriracha, the Asian-style condiment that is super-hot in both flavor and popularity, may find prices spiking despite reassurances from the manufacturer after a court orders them to shut down their plant:
A judge has given a dose of cold water to the hot sauce Sriracha, ruling Tuesday that the factory that manufactures the trendy condiment must partially shut down after neighbors complained of the spicy smells it was producing.
Judge Robert H. O’Brien found in favor of the city of Irwindale where Sriracha recently relocated, saying sauce maker Huy Fong Foods must stop any operations that could be causing the odors and make changes to mitigate them.
O’Brien’s injunction, given in response to a lawsuit filed by the city on Oct. 21, does not specify what types of actions are required or force the factory to shut down altogether, the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/17SSD2h) reported.
Huy Fong Foods did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Times or The Associated Press.
The company had previously argued that there is no reason to close the plant now because harvest season and subsequent grinding of red-hot Jalapeno peppers, the sauce’s key ingredient, has passed. That suggests that the injunction may not have a major immediate effect on the company’s production or the nation’s hot sauce supply as Huy Fong keeps up its year-round mixing and bottling.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20131127_ap_5e5043f209184849b7607b39249eee8c.html#Ehwxdw26RFcqMKEG.99
