Sriracha May Be in Short Supply This Summer Due to a Chili Pepper Shortage
Huy Fong Foods won’t be able to produce the popular hot sauce until after Labor Day.
Over the past couple of years we've seen what feels like a scary amount of shortages. Cream cheese, chocolate, and chicken shortages have all made national headlines. Empty grocery store shelves have become a recurring news item. And now, the newest shortage news may hurt the hearts of many a hot sauce lover: sriracha is currently in short supply due to an "unprecedented" chili pepper shortage.
Huy Fong Foods, the maker of the widely popular sriracha brand, said short supplies of the chili peppers it uses to make the hot sauce have actually been a problem for two years, but production has recently hit an all-time low, according to a letter the company issued to buyers. The company confirmed the bad news in a statement obtained by Food & Wine, saying it now faces an "unprecedented shortage" of its products.
"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," the company stated, per the report. "We hope for a fruitful fall season and thank our customers for their patience and continued support during this difficult time."
Unfortunately, the struggling chili crops won't just affect Huy Fong Foods' sriracha production. There's also a chance we'll see low supplies of its Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek as well.
As of the letter warning of the shortage back in April, the company is urging buyers not to "promise" any products to customers unless they have the product in stock. Should sriracha inventory evaporate, it's likely that sriracha fans won't see restocked shelves until fall of 2022, as Huy Fong Foods says it will start processing orders again after Labor Day.