Officials in the Southern California city of Irwindale met on Wednesday night to discuss the subject of much heated debate: Sriracha spicy sauce.
The City Council decided to allow Huy Fong Foods more time to figure out a way to contain the fumes that residents of Irwindale have said is becoming a public nuisance.
Citizens of the San Gabriel Valley city have been locked in a battle with the Los Angeles-based condiment company since October of last year, when local reports of "burning eyes, irritated throats and headaches," started surfacing. Some said the stench of fresh, ground chiles wafting from the factory caused people living nearby to move all outdoor activities inside. NBC Los Angeles reported at the time that some residents had vacated their homes until the putrid fumes subsided.
Since then, Huy Fong Foods has gone back and forth with the city of Irwindale, which eventually filed a law suit with the company. Wednesday evening's meeting was the latest event in the Sriracha case, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Huy Fong officials initially said the committee meaning was untimely and vindictive.
"It seems like they just don't have the patience and they're not included to wait," attorney for the company John Tate told the Times.
But Fred Galante, the city's attorney, said the meeting was a way to reach an agreement.
"We have never asked that the plant be shut down," Galante said. "We just want them to repair it. That's all we've ever wanted."
Huy Fong Foods recently opened the doors of its factory to the public for free tours of the premises, after a temporary halt on the company's product shipments was lifted.
"After many months of transitioning from Rosemead and testing our new equipment, we are pleased to announce that we are now ready to invite visitors to our new building in Irwindale...If you are interested in seeing how our Sriracha is made and how delicious it smells, we would cordially like to invite you...to see our facility during our regular office visiting hours," company reps wrote in a statement.
Although Sriracha was placed on temporary, partial shutdown in November, a judge must ultimately decide whether to close up the factory for good.
