Hot sauce spill at FedEx Memphis cargo hub results in 102 needing treatment

THE spillage of an ingredient used to make hot chilli sauce at the FedEx Express air cargo hub in Memphis has put two people in hospital and subjected 100 others to medical treatment at the scene.

Local fire officials said the accident was caused by a forklift truck puncturing a hole in a five-gallon container of liquid capsaicin, a chilli pepper component that's an active ingredient of pepper spray.

The incident occurred in the heavyweight cargo section of the hub that also serves as a parcel sort centre. The affected area had to be closed off for less than an hour to clean up the spill.

A FedEx spokesman said the capsaicin was en route to be made into hot sauce.