America Is Facing New Sriracha Shortages

Shortages have shaken grocery stores over the past few years, with supply chain issues, poor weather conditions, and the war in Ukraine wreaking havoc on a range of food staples. Now, another popular item is going to be increasingly difficult to find on store shelves.

Huy Fong Foods, Inc. the Southern California-based company that produces one of the most popular brands of Sriracha chili sauce, recently shared that it's facing an "unprecedented inventory shortage" of its beloved condiment, according to USA Today. This has resulted in some retailers imposing purchasing limits on the product, which is widely recognized by its rooster logo and green-capped squeeze bottle.

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Supply issues have plagued Huy Fong Foods for some time now. Last June, the company confirmed an earlier "unprecedented shortage" of its products, citing multiple causes, including "unexpected crop failure from the spring chili harvest." The hot sauce giant obtains its chili peppers from Mexico, where drought conditions reduced the crop's production.

Two months earlier, Huy Fong Foods had alerted buyers of the "severe shortage of chili" in a letter, noting that it would be unable to produce its Chili Garlic, Sambal Oelek, and Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. The company added that orders submitted on or after April 19, 2022, would be scheduled after September 6, 2022.

Sriracha bottle — The Image Party / Shutterstock

While some Sriracha production resumed this past fall, Huy Fong Foods said it's still experiencing supply issues, which is affecting production. "At this time, we have no estimations of when supply will increase," the company wrote in a statement to USA Today.

Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha is made with sun-ripened chilies that have been blended into a paste with sugar, salt, garlic, and distilled vinegar. The iconic condiment is frequently associated with Vietnamese pho and is commonly paired with meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and eggs, along with numerous other dishes. The company has been reported to process 100 million pounds of chili peppers in order to produce 20 million bottles of Sriracha per year.

As a hot sauce with such a widespread appeal, Huy Fong's absence from shelves is being felt among fans.

"I didn't think the Sriracha shortage would affect me as bad as it has," one person tweeted. "Life hasn't been the same since the Sriracha shortage," another Twitter user wrote.