Pink Sauce

Pink Sauce is a pink dipping sauce created by private chef and TikTok user @chef.pii.[3] The sauce went viral on TikTok in the summer of 2022, with over 680 million views on the #pinksauce hashtag. The product garnered controversy over safety and labeling concerns.

For other uses, see Pink sauce.

Pink Sauce
Logo for the Pink Sauce
TypeCondiment
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateMiami, Florida[1]
Created byVeronica Shaw (@chef.pii)[2]

History

Veronica Shaw, known as TikTok user @chef.pii, announced the creation of Pink Sauce via TikTok on June 11, 2022.[2][4] However, the featured sauce appeared more purple than its name suggested, and was deemed unsafe for human consumption.[5] The product was revised for safety purposes and went on sale on July 1, 2022,[6] and sold out sometime around August 3, 2022.[7] Dave's Gourmet, the company that produces sauces featured in Hot Ones, partnered with Shaw and reformulated the recipe. There were plans to sell the sauce in retail stores in the fall of 2022.[8] On January 11, 2023, following a reformulated recipe and packaging changes that officially adhere to FDA regulations, Pink Sauce was made available in 4,000 Walmart locations across the United States.[9][10][11]

Controversy

The sauce has aroused controversy due to several issues with the safety and labeling of the product. Concerns include discrepancies between the actual amount of sauce in the bottle and the amount labeled on the bottle,[1] the sauce's color varying widely from batch to batch,[12][13][14] the product being poorly packaged,[15] the alleged presence of ingredients that are not in the label's list of ingredients such as mayonnaise to thicken it,[15] and the sauce containing milk which, when packaged in a bag, could be infected by botulism.[16]

Some consumers of the sauce have allegedly been sent to the hospital,[17] and some have reported the product smelling and appearing rotten.[18] At least one TikTok user falsified their death consuming Pink Sauce as "a full social experiment to see how quickly other people could spread misinformation."[19]

On August 21, 2022, YouTuber MatPat made a video covering the pink sauce on his "The Food Theorists" channel, claiming the ingredients list was extremely unrealistic and that the food proportions on the label were inaccurate. He also attempted to figure out the genuine recipe. He recommended not consuming the sauce due to potential health risks.[20]

Another creator, Ann Reardon, who in the past has worked as a qualified food scientist and dietitian,[21] uploaded a video about the sauce to the YouTube channel How To Cook That on December 2, 2022. Reardon refuted some of the most concerning allegations, like the danger of botulism and the need for additional, unlisted ingredients to get a result like Shaw's product.[22]

Response from creator

Shaw explained that she had never weighed the product, so the discrepancy between the amount of product indicated on the bottle and the amount actually in the bottle was a guess.[23] When asked about whether her product was approved by the FDA, she stated that her product is not a "medical product", which caused a further backlash, including commenters pointing out that the FDA is also responsible for regulating food.[24] In July 2022, @chef.pii lied to consumers that the FDA approved her product, a statement proven false when the FDA announced a pending review in August.[19]

In October 2022, Shaw appeared on Karamo Brown's talk show, Karamo, purportedly to address the controversies. Shaw appeared with Alle Brean (@alluredbeauty), a fellow TikTok user who had criticized the quality of a Pink Sauce shipment she had sent to a lab for testing. While the mistake in labeling was acknowledged, neither the shipment nor perishable contents of Pink Sauce were addressed by Shaw or Brown in the interview, who instead criticized Brean for her commentary, with Shaw falsely accusing Brean of "fabricating" her claims about her product and "trying to tear down [Shaw's] business and [Shaw's] livelihood," along with Shaw telling Brean "you're not special."[25][26] The results of Brean's commissioned lab test were never presented during the segment.[27]

Twitch streamer MoistCr1TiKaL (Charles White Jr.), who had been previously following the Pink Sauce controversy, brought the video of the interview on the official Karamo Show YouTube account to further media attention after posting a live commentary of the interview.[28] White described Brown and Shaw's interaction with Brean as gaslighting, and questioned whether Brown or the studio audience were made aware before the interview that Shaw shipped material that can't be shipped, and it spoiled for most of her customers. Following White's commentary, the video of the segment and a tweet promoting the video were deleted from the Karamo Show YouTube and Twitter accounts, respectively.[25][26][27]

FDA intervention

On August 2, 2022, the FDA began to review the sauce.[29] Prior to this, on July 26, Shaw was quoted saying "the F, f'ing, DA, federal, came to my business yesterday. I am 100% compliant, I'm abiding with the FDA," adding, "I'm not in trouble. I'm not going to jail."[30] This controversy added to the negative backlash towards the Pink Sauce. Shaw received no fines or litigation, and the reformulated product with new FDA-compliant packaging has been available in Walmart stores since January 2023. [31]

References
  1. Spurs, Terrian; Williams, Austin (July 29, 2022). "TikTok pink sauce: Why is everyone freaking out about this controversial condiment?". q13fox.com.
  2. Lustig, Hanna (September 16, 2022). "Before You Eat the TikTok-Famous Pink Sauce, Read This". Glamour. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  3. Lamour, Joseph (July 21, 2022). "What is 'pink sauce'? A Pepto-colored condiment is turning heads (And stomachs) on TikTok". Today.
  4. "Pink Sauce Queen 👑💖🤤 on TikTok". TikTok. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  5. Waiwiri-Smith, Lyric (August 1, 2022). "Private jet bust-ups and pink sauce botulism: The week that was in pop culture". Stuff.
  6. Durieux, Jeanne (July 28, 2022). "What is this "pink sauce" that is causing the buzz on social networks?". Ouest France.
  7. Sabovic, Sanela (August 3, 2022). "Miami chef making Pink Sauce goes viral, product sold out". Local 10.
  8. Rocha, Polly Anna (August 17, 2022). "TikTok's Notorious Pink Sauce Extends Shelf Life". Eater Dallas.
  9. "Viral TikTok 'pink sauce' is now available at Walmart". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  10. Kayembe, Astrid (January 12, 2023). "FDA approved? Viral Pink Sauce hits Walmart shelves. Here's where to find it in SoCal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  11. "The TikTok-Famous Pink Sauce—That Needed FDA Approval—Is Finally Being Sold at Walmart". January 17, 2023.
  12. "Viral Pink Sauce Comes With Lengthy Terms and Conditions". Vice. August 28, 2022.
  13. Williams, Ebony (July 31, 2022). "What is PINK Sauce and why is it all over TikTok?". roanoke.com.
  14. Gault, Matthew (August 1, 2022). "Why TikTok is Obsessed with Pink Sauce". Vice.
  15. Heil, Emily (July 21, 2022). "TikTok's Pink Sauce chef defends her viral condiment". The Washington Post.
  16. Lee, Bruce Y. (July 24, 2022). "'Pink Sauce' Goes Viral on TikTok, Here Are the Concerns with This Condiment". Forbes.
  17. Bissi, Alexandre Verdu (August 1, 2022). "La " Pink Sauce ", la sauce qui fait fureur et… qui conduit à l'hôpital" [The “Pink Sauce”, the sauce that is all the rage and… that leads to the hospital]. Cerfia (in French).
  18. Stevens, Ashlie D. (July 22, 2022). "Will someone please just tell me what the heck is "Pink Sauce"?". Salon. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  19. Jordan, Atiya (July 29, 2022). "Chef Pii Speaks Out Against 'Poisoning' People With Her Pink Sauce". Black Enterprise. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  20. Patrick, Matthew (August 21, 2022). "Food Theory: The Pink Sauce Mystery SOLVED (TikTok)". YouTube.
  21. Gutelle, Sam (January 22, 2015). "YouTube Millionaires: Ann Reardon Knows 'How To Cook That'". Tube Filter News. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  22. Reardon, Ann (December 2, 2022). "Debunking the Pink Sauce Controversy | How To Cook That Ann Reardon". YouTube.
  23. Miller, Korin (July 26, 2022). "Why TikTok's 'Pink Sauce' Has Some Food Safety Experts Very Worried". Health.
  24. Harling, Danielle (July 29, 2022). "The Pink Sauce Drama Continues: "They accused me of poisoning the nation."". Delish.com.
  25. Glaze, Virginia (October 14, 2022). "Chef Pii faces backlash after confronting Pink Sauce critic on talk show". Dexerto. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  26. Marwah, Srishti (October 15, 2022). ""Most infuriating thing I've ever watched": Interview with Pink Sauce creator Chef Pii deleted after it receives severe backlash online". Sportskeeda. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  27. Pink Sauce Lady Embarrassed Herself. YouTube. penguinz0. October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  28. Don't Eat Pink Sauce. YouTube. penguinz0. July 22, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  29. Struble, Cristine (August 2, 2022). "Why The FDA Has Just Stepped Into The Viral Pink Sauce Drama". Mashed.
  30. Harling, Danielle (July 29, 2022). "The Pink Sauce Drama Continues: "They accused me of poisoning the nation."". Delish.com.
  31. "The Viral Pink Sauce Has Been FDA Approved And Is Now On Walmart Shelves". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
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