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Tag: odor

  • Sriracha Irwindale Gets Odor Complaints

    Sriracha Irwindale Gets Odor Complaints

    Who doesn’t like hot sauce? Take an ordinary dish, and add some Sriracha hot sauce (considered by many to be the world’s best) and suddenly the dish will not taste ordinary anymore.

    However, liking the taste of something and liking the smell of something is not necessarily the same.

    An Irwindale plant where the famous hot sauce (that uses sun ripen chilies) is made was recently the cause of multiple odor-related complaints, eleven complaints to be precise. These complaints have all been reported since October 21st with one being placed on Tuesday and four on Saturday. Some have even claimed that the pepper condiment is like a form of mace.

    Irwindale City Manager John Davidson says that he can smell the odor from City Hall. “It’s pretty strong,” he said.

    Inspections were completed twice in the vicinity of Huy Fong Foods to check for lingering unpleasant odors. According to Sam Atwood of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), these inspections were not fruitful.

    “On both occasions, they could not detect any odor,” Atwood said before explaining that several factors can influence odors such as the weather.

    “We will continue to take a look at that facility. We can do odor surveillance, and go out regardless of whether there’s a complaint or not, and just have an inspector drive around the area,” said Sam Atwood of AQMD.

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    So, is this an open-and-shut case where the company can return to doing what it does best — making tasty hot sauce if not completely fragrant hot sauce — while not being diverted from outside inquiries? No, this situation gets even trickier.

    Reports originally claimed that these complaints had not procured any specific legal actions against Huy Fong Foods. However, according to the Los Angeles Times, “Irwindale filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday,” citing the sauce as a public nuisance. Apparently, sauces can be considered nuisances. Who would have thought?

    In the event that the company suffers as a result of the action, consumers of the popular condiment may find themselves paying higher prices.

    According to David Tran, who is the chief executive of Huy Fong Foods, “If the city shuts us down, the price of Sriracha will jump up a lot.”

    Could it be that the smell just takes some adjusting? Employee Sergio Garcia said, “It’s not so bad. You get used to it.”

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Stink Bugs Are Invading the Country

    Stink Bugs Are Invading the Country

    Yes, you read that title right. And, no, it isn’t a crack about Congress and the government shutdown. Stink bugs are swarming all over the country, and the problem is expected to get worse before it gets better.

    “We’re going to have buckets full of these things coming in if they do what they’ve done in Maryland and Pennsylvania and that’s not going to be fun,” said University of Wisconsin bug expert Phil Pellitteri.

    While stink bugs have been around the United States for years, this is the most recent major infestation. So far the stink bugs have been found in Wisconsin, Alabama, Indiana and Virginia, to name a few states. Click here to identify the various types of stink bugs.

    Some people report that the stink bug problem has gotten really bad, and one person even went so far as to compare it to something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. “This is like being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie, only it’s stink bugs instead of birds,” said Pennsylvania resident Drema Brubaker. “When you step outside they jump on you. This is like a plague or something! I’ve lived here since 1976 but I was so mad I was throwing a fit, saying I didn’t want to live here anymore.”

    Some reactions to stink bug invasion have been a little more severe than others.

    Has the stink bug infestation reached you? Share your experiences and remedies below.

    Sallie Lee, an Urban Regional Extension agent in Alabama, says that the stink bugs are looking for a warm place for winter, which just might be your home. “If they can’t find a warm crack, somewhere in a rock, someplace like that, if they see an open window or door they will sense that warmth and they’ll go inside,” Lee said.

    The good news is that as long as a stink bug doesn’t feel threatened, you probably won’t have to worry about finding how they get their name. But if the bug feels threatened or if you squish it, you’ll be hit with a foul odor that some people describe as being very “musty” or smelling like “cilantro,” and the smell could linger around your home for up to a couple of days.

    According to Pest World, there are a few ways to deal with stink bugs that don’t require involving an exterminator:

    Seal off entry points: Spend some time inspecting the outside of your home for easy access points.

    Turn off the lights: Stink bugs are attracted to lights, so it’s recommended to keep outdoor lighting to a minimum.

    Reduce moisture sites: Eliminating all moisture build up around your home can go a long way to help prevent many pest infestations.

    Eliminate food sources: Store food in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles.

    Properly landscape: Keep branches and shrubbery well trimmed. In addition, make sure to store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and five inches off the ground.

    Think before squishing: When many people find a stink bug, their first instinct is to squish them. However, when disturbed or crushed, stink bugs have a tendency to release a bad-smelling, bad-tasting odor from pores on the sides of their bodies. This is how the pest earned its name.

    Use a vacuum to remove stink bugs.

    Image via WikiMedia Commons