Southern California City Drops Lawsuit Against Sriracha Sauce Maker

Irwindale's mayor said the lawsuit against the Huy Fong Foods CEO has been dropped

The mayor of Irwindale said on Wednesday the lawsuit against the maker of Sriracha hot sauce has been dropped, bringing the months-long conflict to an end.

Mayor Mark Breceda said the city has rejected the lawsuit against Huy Fong Foods and its CEO David Tran.

"We came to an agreement with Mr Tran today," Breceda told NBC4. "We had a very successful meeting."

The move comes after members of Gov. Jerry Brown's office visited the sauce factory. Breceda said he met behind closed doors and two of the governor’s representatives Tuesday morning.

Breceda said they came to a verbal agreement that he and the City Council will check in with the company when the grinding season begins, which is about mid-July to August.

If city officials detect the strong chili odor neighbors complained about, or other issues, the company would immediately have to fix them.

Some residents who live near the plant said the spicy smell wafting from the factory through their neighborhoods burned their eyes and throats. Whether a new filtration system installed at the plant will improve conditions won't be known until the grinding process begins.

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