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Sriracha, “rooster sauce,” or “hipster Tobasco” is making headlines again. Not because there is another shortage (do you remember the outrage a few years ago when you couldn’t find those red bottles anywhere?), but because of a much more dangerous reason.
Sriracha is being recalled in Australia and New Zealand, following a similar recall that happened in Ireland last month. This issue may not be region-specific, which means that bottle of the hot stuff sitting in your cabinet or fridge could also be dangerous.
This isn’t a food contamination issue like the recent lettuce or egg recalls, so don’t think that you’re going to get sick if you smother your eggs or tacos in the rooster sauce. It actually seems to be a fermentation and packaging issue.
As you may or may not be aware, Sriracha was created in 1980 by a Vietnamese refugee in the US and has grown into something way larger than he ever could have dreamed about. The sauce itself is a mixture of chili peppers, garlic, and vinegar, and is based on a sauce from his home country of Vietnam.
The secret to the flavor, however, is fermentation. The sauce has to sit and ferment before using – you can’t just blend up all the ingredients and put it straight on your tacos. You won’t get the same flavor profile.
According to food safety officials in Australia and Ireland, the latest ‘batch’ of the sauce to hit shelves has an issue with the fermentation. Specifically, bottles of the stuff are building up lactic acid inside of them and continuing to ferment.
That means that when you open the bottle, the pressure inside has to go somewhere. It’s going to pop and release all of that built-up acid… along with plenty of the hot sauce that you probably didn’t intend to wear.
The bottles being recalled are on shelves now, both 17oz and 28oz size, and are marked with a “best by” date of March 2021.
Officials warn consumers that they should feel and visually inspect the bottles before opening them, and if they feel bloated at all they shouldn’t open the tops.
Sriracha was recalled in Ireland earlier this year for the same reason. It seems that the company has an issue with stopping the fermentation process.
Hopefully, they can get it together, because we as a society simply can’t handle another Sriracha shortage. That’s not a good way to start 2020.
