Maker of popular sriracha hot sauce halting production due to peppers not being red enough

Those that like a little kick to their food may have to look elsewhere soon if you are a user of sriracha hot sauce. At least for a little while.

Huy Fong Foods, a California-based company that makes the popular sauce, says it will not produce any more until after Labor Day. The company says the temporary pause is because the red jalapeño peppers used are too green, which affects the color of the sauce.

The company’s red winter jalapeño peppers are grown in Mexico where there is currently a severe drought which can disrupt the ripening process and prevent the peppers from achieving their red color.

This isn’t the first time making the sauce has been an issue. In 2020 and 2022 the company said it was halting production because of a shortage of the jalapeño chili peppers.