Many folks enjoy ringing in the new year with yummy finger foods—chicken wings, mac and cheese, sliders. . . . The list goes on. As often as not, those snacks are packing heat—many in the form of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Now the spicy ketchup stand-in is facing an explosive start to the new year.
Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce made from red chilies (of course), garlic, salt, sugar, and vinegar. It’s sometimes known as “hipster Tabasco” or “rooster sauce,” and it’s a worldwide sensation.
Sriracha’s spicy culinary adventure began in 1980 when Vietnamese refugee David Tran launched his version of the bright red, peppery condiment. The most well-known American sriracha sauce comes in a clear bottle with a green cap and a drawing of a rooster on the front.
Just before New Year’s, Australia and New Zealand recalled the sauce. Officials at Food Standards Australia New Zealand warned that some bottles might “explode.” Evidently, a buildup of lactic acid could cause the bottle to “bloat”—and burst. “Product may splatter [onto] property or persons on opening,” the website warns.
Watch out, new shirt and eyeballs!
On its website, the Food Standards group advises, “Do not open bottles that feel bloated and return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.”
The recall includes 17- and 28-ounce bottles carrying a March 2021 expiration date.
Last month, food safety inspectors in Ireland recalled Sriracha too. They removed the sauce from grocery stores because of the “risk of the contents exploding once the bottle is opened.”
(Sriracha chili sauce on the line at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, California. AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
