Sriracha factory slows from producing 18,000 bottles of Sriracha an hour to just 2,000 an hour

Due to a drought, the Sriracha factory in Irwindale, California, is producing about 2,000 bottles an hour compared to its usual production of 18,000 bottles an hour.

The Huy Fong Foods, Inc. factory has been hit with a chili shortage due to an unexpected crop failure in peppers caused by severe weather conditions. The company estimated that it is only receiving approximately 10 percent of its typical amount of pepper products, reported NBC Los Angeles.

With the increasing demand for Sriracha, the company believes that it is two years behind in production. The factory, which typically has nine conveyor belts running at a time, has reduced production to just one conveyor belt a day. The founder and owner of Huy Fong Foods, David Tran, stated that even during the COVID-19 pandemic the shortage was not as bad as its current situation.

Last month, the company released a statement explaining the shortage in Sriracha.

“Unfortunately, we can confirm that there is an unprecedented shortage of our products,” Huy Fong Foods stated. “ We are still endeavoring to resolve this issue that has been caused by several spiraling events, including unexpected crop failure from the spring chili harvest.”

In addition, the company will not be taking any orders until September as it lacks the inventory.

Huy Fong Foods is expecting pepper production to begin increasing next month through November. Tran stated that he is trying his best to keep all of his employees.

“We’re hoping we’ll get more chilis to come the fall season,” Andrea Castillo of Huy Fong Foods told NBC Los Angeles.

Featured Image via Hiroko Nishimura

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