Los Angeles Superior Court has denied a bid made by a Southern California town to close down the Sriracha hot sauce factory due to its pungent scent.
Judge Robert O'Brien on Thursday turned down the city of Irwindale's request to close down the Huy Fong Foods plant until the company can scale back on the fumes, according to USA Today.
"You're asking for a very radical order on 24-hour notice," O'Brien reportedly told attorney June Ailin, who is representing the city.
The court initially scheduled a hearing for Nov. 22.
City attorneys filed the suit on Monday, with reports that the smell was so potent, it had become a public nuisance. Some residents of the Irwindale area, most of them living near the factory, said they'd been forced to move all outdoor activities indoors, the Los Angeles Times reported. Some neighbors vacated their homes temporarily, waiting until the putrid smells subsided.
Residents stated the garlic and chili smell was so strong that it brought on headaches, sore throats and burning, itchy eyes.
But Sriracha officials have maintained that the scent is key for Sriracha's signature taste, and compromising the use of fresh peppers, garlic, and other heavily scented ingredients might detract from the overall product. But the company has also said they're willing to work with the city to curtail the fumes.
Irwindale lawyers requested that Huy Fong Foods install a $600,000 filtration system to reduce the smell. Currently, the fumes are shuttled through a carbon-based filtration system that diffuses them before they exit the building.
According to company founder and chief executive David Tran, the business, which moved its factory to Irwindale from Rosemead two years ago, took in around $85 million in 2012.
