Sriracha Avoids Shutdown, For Now

By Sam Lewis

Los Angeles judge denies attempt to shut down hot sauce factory

Sriracha, the company which manufactures its popular namesake hot sauce, walked away from its Oct 31 court date not having to worry about a shutdown, at least not yet, anyway. A Southern California judge denied the attempt made by citizens of the Huy Fong Foods factory’s town, Irwindale, CA to shut the factory down after more than 30 complaints of a pungent pepper smell emanating from the plant.

L.A. Superior Court Judge Robert O’Brien overruled the city’s proposition to have the Huy Fong Foods factory cease operations until the odor was reduced. “You're asking for a very radical order on 24-hour notice,” O'Brien said to attorney June Ailin, who represented the city of Irwindale, CA.

The Sriracha plant is massive, covering 650,000-square-feet and processing around 100 million pounds of peppers each year. This time of year is a huge production time for Sriracha, as the California jalapeno pepper harvest is underway. The massive amount of peppers used in making 200,000 bottles of hot sauce per day is put through a wash, mixed with garlic and other ingredients, and then roasted. The company’s founder and CEO, David Tran, told a Southern California public radio station that the factory’s rooftop carbon-based filter system absorbs about 90 percent of the odors the factory exhausts. Nearby residents of the facility say this process isn’t enough to stop the fumes from giving them headaches, watery eyes, and burning throats. “To filter 100 percent, I haven't found any engineer that can do it,” Tran says. 

While the Sriracha plant is off the hook, the city of Irwindale, CA isn’t satisfied with the ruling. Officials from the city say they will continue pushing the issue, using all available legal tools to safeguard residents from the factory’s pungent emissions. “If we continue to receive ongoing complaints, we will continue to pursue legal action,” says Irwindale, CA city attorney Fred Galante. The city has asked for a permanent injunction on operations of the factory, the next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22.

According to Tran, the process of harvesting, grinding, and storing this year’s pepper supply will take just over a week to complete, long before the next scheduled court date. It appears that next year’s supply of Sriracha’s hot sauce is secure, and lovers of the popular condiment can let out a short breath of relief.