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In a statement sent to CBS MoneyWatch, Huy Fong Foods, the maker of the hot sauce, provided an explanation for the deep shortage they are experiencing. Last year, this was due to the lack of raw material (chili) as a result of weather conditions. A problem that continues to haunt this year’s production, making it difficult to create these iconic red bottles with green caps.
A fight against drought
Despite the fact that production was resumed last fall, the company still has a limited supply that is making it impossible to satisfy the Sriracha hunger of all those passionate Sriracha fans.
Faced with this grim situation, the company is trying to combat the shortage, but the raw material shortage is blocking the supply of 50,000 tons of chili peppers, needed annually for the production of its three condiments, which also include a chili-garlic sauce and a sambal oelek.
Thus, Sriracha fans are once again experiencing that spicy déjà vu they experienced last year. A dark supply phase that is not yet known when it will ramp up: “because we do not sell directly to retail/market levels, we cannot determine when the product will hit the shelves again and/or who currently has the product in stock.”
So how can we cope with the new Sriracha shortage? At this point, the only thing left to do is to recreate our own version of the quintessential spicy condiment.
