Sriracha sauce is selling for as much as $120 amid a long-running shortage

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NEW YORK – A prolonged shortage of one particular red sauce is setting the black market off guard.

Sriracha sauce is fetching $70 on eBay with people looking to pick up the hot sauce. Huy Fong Foods, which makes bottled rooster sauce, has been dealing with a prolonged shortage of chili peppers, which has hurt production and caused some shortages.

An eBay search shows prices for different sized bottles ranging from $39.98 for 17-ounce bottles To the 28 ounce bottle for about $70. Either way, shipping is an additional fee, which increases the price even more.

Prices are higher on Amazon, where one seller is offering a 2 pack for $124. Of course, it is not clear if anyone is actually paying such exorbitant prices, considering A.J A 17-ounce bottle usually costs about $5.

The company recently told CNN that it is still experiencing a shortage of raw materials. “Although some production resumed last fall season, we still have limited supply which continues to affect our production. At this time, we don’t have estimates of when supply will increase,” a spokesperson for Huy Fung said.

“We are grateful for your continued patience and understanding during this unprecedented inventory shortage. We are currently working to try to avoid any future shortages,” the company added.

There has been a shortage in the past three years. Huy Fong said chili peppers were in constant shortage. Last year, it paused orders due to a shortage that also affected Chili Garlic and Sambal Oelek products.

Created by Chinese immigrant David Tran in 1980, Huy Fong’s Sriracha has made its way onto the shelves of big-box retailers like Target and Whole Foods and has been a consumer favorite since its inception.

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