This summer, the production of the popular sriracha hot sauce is being suspended due to a shortage of red jalapeño chili peppers, the main ingredient used to make it. Huy Fung Foods, a major sriracha producer, has decided to stop production until September because the peppers being used are “too green,” affecting the color of the product. The company has informed wholesale buyers that all customer orders made as of May 6 are canceled, and production will resume after Labor Day when the next chili season begins. Huy Fung Foods sells its products to retailers, restaurants, and other businesses, rather than directly to consumers.
The green color of the red jalapeño chili peppers indicates that they are not fully mature or ripe, according to a chili pepper expert at New Mexico State University. This may be due to factors such as improper timing of planting or adverse environmental conditions that slowed down the ripeness of the peppers. Last year, Huy Fung Foods faced production challenges related to crop failures, and this is not the first time that sriracha supplies have been threatened. Some experts believe that changing climate conditions have contributed to subpar growing conditions for chili peppers, affecting the supply of sriracha in recent years. While temperatures have not been hot enough in Mexico to affect chili pepper production, Mexico is currently suffering from a drought, particularly in northern regions where most of the peppers are grown.
California farmer Craig Underwood, who previously supplied Huy Fung Foods with peppers for its sriracha sauce, mentioned that the distinctive taste of the sauce comes from using fresh red jalapeños as 90% of its contents. Underwood, who now produces the sauce on a smaller scale himself, stated that using green peppers would result in a brownish color instead of the typical bright red hue of sriracha. He indicated that he has enough supply of jalapeños for his own production, but this shortage of red jalapeño chili peppers may affect the overall availability of sriracha in the market. The impact of climate change on agricultural production, including pepper crops, is becoming more significant, with severe weather events and environmental conditions affecting food supply chains.
As a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch, Megan Cerullo covers various topics such as small businesses, workplace issues, healthcare, consumer spending, and personal finance. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting. The suspension of sriracha production due to a shortage of red jalapeño chili peppers highlights the complex factors influencing food supply chains, including environmental conditions, climate change, and crop failures. A major sriracha producer like Huy Fung Foods facing challenges in sourcing its main ingredient raises concerns about the potential impact on the availability and pricing of this popular condiment. Consumers may notice a difference in the flavor or availability of sriracha this summer as a result of the production pause until September.
