Sriracha Factory Given 90-Day Ultimatum as Spicy Fumes Declared a 'Public Nuisance'
With residents of Irwindale, Calif., complaining of a burning sensation in their eyes and throats, a Sriracha factory must clean up shop.
By Geoff Weiss •
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A Southern California community is feeling the Sriracha heat -- so much so that its city council has unanimously declared a local factory that churns out the cult-favorite hot sauce a "public nuisance."
With residents of Irwindale claiming that the factory's spicy fumes are burning their eyes and throats, the ruling states that Huy Fong Foods, which produces Sriracha, must submit a mitigation plan within 10 days and have the issue resolved by June 1.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, a pollution control agency, has offered to help craft a solution that involves the use of active carbon filters, reports The Los Angeles Times.
Related: Listen Up: How to Respond to Customer Complaints
This isn't the first time that spicy Sriracha vapors have irritated Irwindale residents. Last October, the city sued Huy Fong Foods and asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to completely halt production on the sauce.
At the time however, the annual pepper-grinding season, which runs from August to October, had ended. That trial is set for later this year.
Huy Fong Foods opened its $40 million plant two years ago in Irwindale -- an industrial city of 1,400 residents. The privately company took in about $85 million last year, according to Fox News.
Related: How to Calculate and Reduce Your Business's Carbon Footprint
