Chili Sauce Squabble
May 1, 2014 1:17 PM
Attempts by Irwindale, Calif. city leaders to address complaints about odors arising from a Huy Fong Foods plant have resulted in talk the factory could leave for greener pastures. The plant was lauded by city leaders as a redevelopment success story when the plant first opened in 2011. Image: Keeley Webster Related Story: Chili Sauce Factory Smell Brouhaha Spills Over Into Bond Documents
One of the changes wrought when the plant moved from Rosemead, Calif. to Irwindale is the use or robotics. All the work that used to be done by hand is now done using robotics, according to the tour guide. Image: Keeley Webster
Bottles of Huy Fong Food's well-known Sriracha Sauce tumble down a conveyer belt in the plant. Founder David Tran designed the transparent bottles with the green tip to look like the chili peppers that are the main ingredient in the sauce. Image: Keeley Webster
Huy Fond Foods Founder David Tran spent an estimated $40 million to build the 650,000-square-foot plant in Irwindale, Calif. Image: Keeley Webster
A Huy Fong Food factory worker monitors blue barrels containing chili sauce as they move down the line Image: Keeley Webster
David Tran, Huy Fong Foods founder and chief executive officer, opened his factory up to tours in April in an attempt to demonstrate that complaints from local residents and businesses that adverse affects of chili sauce odors stemming from the plant are unfounded. Some local residents and businesses have complained that odors wafting from the factory are causing nausea, burning eyes and nose bleeds. Image: Keeley Webster
U.S. Congressman Tony Cardenas meets with Huy Fong Foods Founder and Chief Executive Officer David Tran and Donna Lam, executive operations officer. Cardenas sent a letter telling Tran that if he has to abandon his plant located in eastern Los Angeles County, the congressman would be happy to have the plant relocate to his San Fernando Valley congressional district. Image: Congressman Tony Cardenas' office
Huy Fong Foods makes its own chili sauce bottles on site. Image: Keeley Webster
Chili sauce produced during harvest season that begins in late summer, early fall is stored in blue barrels. The barrels are made on site just as the Rooster chili sauce containers are. The majority of complaints have stemmed from the height of the chili pepper grinding season that occurs October through December. City leaders claim conducting tours when grinding season is not occurring is misleading. Image: Keeley Webster
Young Jawhang, who co-owns a liquor store with her husband that is located across the street from the plant, obtained 230 signatures on a petition in support of the plant. Image: Keeley Webster
