Calgary, Alberta Canada. May 7, 2021 Bottle of Sriracha Hot Sauce A type of hot sauce or chili sauce. (Marvin Tolentino, Dreamer)
Estimated reading time: 3-4 minutes
NEW YORK – A chronic shortage of a certain red sauce is causing the black market to go wild.
Sriracha sauce can fetch up to $70 on eBay when people are looking for a spicy sauce. Hui Fong Foods, which makes canned chicken-flavored sauces, is experiencing a years-long chili shortage that is hurting production and causing a shortage.
A search on eBay shows prices for bottles of various sizes ranging from $39.98 for 17-ounce bottles to nearly $70 for 28-ounce bottles. In both cases, shipping is an additional charge, which further increases the price.
Prices are higher on Amazon, where one seller offers a 2-pack for $124. Of course, considering that a 17-ounce bottle typically costs $5, it’s not clear that anyone is paying these exorbitant prices.
The company recently told CNN that it is still facing a shortage of raw materials. A spokesperson for Huey Fong said, “Although some products will continue to be available from last fall, we continue to have a limited supply that will continue to affect our supply. At this time, we have no estimate of when the supply will increase.”
“We appreciate your continued patience and understanding during this unprecedented inventory shortage. We are currently working to avoid future shortages,” the company added.
According to Hui Fong, there has been a shortage of chili pepper for the past three years as there has been a constant supply shortage. Last year, it temporarily suspended orders due to the shortage, which affected its chili garlic and sambal olek products.
Created in 1980 by Chinese immigrant David Tran, Huy Fong’s Sriracha has reached the shelves of giant retailers like Target and Whole Foods and has been a consumer favorite since its inception.
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