Sriracha hot sauce maker Huy Fong Foods won't be sending out the popular product anytime until January.
The news comes after the California Department of Health recently instituted tougher rules on the business, which has recently been criticized for its production practices The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
"We have already received more than 30 angry phone calls today," Damon Chu president of Giant Union, a food supplier in Whittier, Calif told The Times. "It drives me crazy because this is the first time we have been in this situation."
Other individuals involved feel a burden will be felt across the board.
"We'll lose money," Whiting Wu manager at East Coast Supplier Summit Operations Corp told The Times. "Their (Huy Fong Foods) sauce is not easily replaced."
"Holding products for a period of time at a specified pH level is one method of controlling those microorganisms," Anita Gore, a health department spokesman told the Associated Press.
The city received 30 complaints from residents about stinging in their eyes and throats, and some headache. Therefore, Irwindale city officials requested a judge shut down the plant, which made uncooked material for its hot sauce product three months out of the year, is currently harvesting chile peppers.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled, last month that the company must stop production practices that bring about toxic odors, and implement adjustments so smells are no longer a nuisance after the city received 30 complaints from residents about stinging in their eyes and throats, and some headaches. Therefore, Irwindale city officials requested a judge shut down the plant, which made uncooked material for its hot sauce product three months out of the year.
A city consultant suggested the municipality utilize a $600,000 cleaning system to get rid of the odor and prevent it from getting into the atmosphere. The company looked into the system, but was curious to know what other options were available.
The company put in carbon filters last year to try and solve the problem, and has since added more following complaints from residents.
Huy Fong has operated the factory in Rosemead Calif. for 30 years without having any problems. The building also sits in a residential neighborhood next to several production plants that make beer, and dog food.
