Sriracha sauce will be back on supermarket shelves by late January
The heat-seeking public can relax—at least for now. A spokesman from Huy Fong Foods, the company that produces Sriracha, told ABC News that the cult condiment’s recent distribution problems should be over by the end of January.
The ongoing Sriracha saga has had chili fans on tenterhooks for months. First, the sauce factory got slapped with a partial shutdown order for allegedly afflicting townspeople in Irwindale, California with stingy eyes and other chili-related maladies. Then, in an apparently unrelated move, the state’s public-health department swooped in and put all Sriracha shipments on a 30-day hold, citing concerns about possible microbial contamination.
While the next couple weeks should see the planet’s Sriracha supply returning to normal, the factory’s ultimate fate depends on the outcome of an upcoming court date. If a California judge rules in favour of disgruntled Irwindalians, the sauce-maker could be in real trouble. Luckily, there are people eager to help out. Just this week, the Los Angeles Times reported that avid Sriracha fan and Texas state legislator Jason Villalba had formally invited the sauce company to pack up and move south. “You have worked too hard and have helped too many people to let government bureaucrats shut down your thriving business,” Villalba wrote in an impassioned letter to Huy Fong. “The great state of Texas would welcome you and your employees with open arms if you would consider moving.” So far, Huy Fong hasn’t responded to the offer. But, hey—it’s always good to have options.
