Dive Brief:
- The city council of Irwindale, CA, has delayed a final vote on whether to declare the factory where Sriracha is made a public nuisance.
- Irwindale has been involved in a very public dispute with manufacturer Huy Fong and its founder, David Tran, over smells that allegedly come from the plant.
- Republican politicians across the state are now weighing in on the dispute, arguing that Irwindale's actions have less to do with fumes from the factory than they do with anti-business sentiment.
Dive Insight:
No one would have guessed that Sriracha -- arguably one of the biggest taste sensations of recent decades -- would become a hot-button issue in American politics. But that appears to be what is happening.
And this may be good news. We can't imagine any other issue that could unite such a widely disparate group of people. Only Sriracha, it appears, can bring foodies, immigrants, Republicans, hipsters, and entrepreneurs to the same table.