Decision on Sriracha factory public nuisance complaint is delayed

Sriacha fans will have to wait a little longer to learn the fate of their beloved hot sauce.

The Irwindale City Council decided Wednesday to hold off on a decision on whether the Huy Fong Foods Sriracha factory, maker of one of the most popular brands of Sriracha sauce, is a public nuisance.

The council voted to postpone making a decision on the matter until April 1 to give the company time to work with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to find a solution to the smell coming from the plant, reported The Times’ Frank Shyong. Last year, residents complained that the factory’s chile-and-garlic smell was causing health problems, which led the city to file a lawsuit.

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“We have a situation where a factory is threatened with a shutdown and the solution could be very straightforward,” said South Coast Air Quality Management District spokesman Sam Atwood.

Sriracha fans and factory workers protested outside the council meeting, wearing “Team Sriracha” and “Save Sriracha” shirts.

Multiple experts presented findings, including an environmental chemist from SWAPE, a consulting firm in Santa Monica, who offered information on how the smell could affect more or fewer people at certain times because of weather conditions.

Residents who made the initial complaints were also present.

At the meeting, Huy Fong Foods founder David Tran, who has been making Sriracha for 33 years, invited the public to see the factory and smell the chiles for themselves. The company started offering free factory tours earlier this month.

Want more Sriracha news? Follow me on Twitter: @Jenn_Harris_

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