IRWINDALE, CA (RNN) - Sriracha, the delectable hot sauce made from sun ripened chilies and garlic that quickly made its way to the hearts of millions of Americans, may have made some enemies.
Irwindale, the southern California city where Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods is located, is declaring the Sriracha factory a public nuisance.
The city sued Huy Fong Foods in October of 2013, saying residents complained the fumes from the grinding of red hot chili peppers, an essential ingredient to the sauce, was stinging their eyes and throats and giving them headaches, according to the Associated Press.
But on Wednesday the Irwindale City Council formally declared the factory a public nuisance, meaning Huy Fong Foods has 90 days to make the necessary changes to reduce the smell or the city will step in and make the changes for them.
The decision comes despite recent efforts by the hot sauce maker to comply with the city's demands.
Huy Fong Foods attorney John Tate said the company has been working with South Coast Air Quality Management to perform tests and come up with an action plan that would fix the problem by June 1, according to The Los Angeles Times.
"The City Council is determined to assert its authority regardless of the status of the odor remediation efforts," Tate said.
However, the Irwindale City Council is standing its ground, claiming the public nuisance designation is simply insurance in case the factory does not fix the problem in time.
Huy Fong Foods was founded in 1980 by David Tran, who started out making the sauce in a bucket in his home. As his business grew, he opened a factory in Rosemead, CA in 1986, and then relocated to Irwindale two years ago after outgrowing the Rosemead location.
Copyright 2014 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods has been declared a public nuisance due to unpleasant fumes. (Source: ilovememphis/Flickr)
