Okay, seriously. You really might want to start stockpiling bottles of Sriracha. You know that a judge stopped production at the hot sauce factory after its weak sauce neighbors in Irwindale complained about the strong odor. Now manufacturer Huy Fong Foods can't ship out any more sauce until mid-January because the California Department of Public Health has begun enforcing stricter guidelines for the company.
Sriracha shipping halted until mid-January by state regulators
The company's three sauces, Sriracha, Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek, now must be held for at least 30 days before they can shipped to food distributors and wholesalers. That means the next shipment of those glorious green-tipped bottles will not go out until the middle of next month. That's a long time for Sriracha fans.
It's the latest setback for Huy Fong. Even with the court ruling about the odor, at least they'd finished processing the chilis needed to bottle their batch of sauce. It doesn't look like they were anticipating the hold period.
The company began to comply with the state's hold period this week, said operations manager Donna Lam. Sauce suppliers will not be able to restock until mid-January.Time to start stockpiling? I don't know, but it sounds like it wouldn't hurt to put a few extra bottles in your basket.
Damon Chu, president of wholesale Asian food supplier Giant Union in Whittier, claims his company could lose about $300,000 in sales. His company buys up to $150,000 worth of Huy Fong Food products each month.
They have no inventory to draw on because they ship the sauces continuously to restaurant suppliers across the region. He fears that if his customers can't get the sauce included in their order, they will switch to a different supplier or different product.
"We have already received more than 30 angry phone calls today," Chu said. "It drives me crazy because this is the first time we have been in this situation."
More here: Sriracha hot sauce shortage begins after sales halted
