There are a lot of sauces on the market, but a viral “Pink Sauce” on TikTok has the internet buzzing with confusion, and concern. It all goes back to a woman who goes by “Chef.pii” on the popular video app, who has been selling the sauce for $20, with claims it’s made out of dragon fruit, sunflower seed oil, chili, honey, and garlic. After going viral in June for the hot pink sauce, she began selling it, which is when mayhem ensued. From open and bloated bottles to misspelling of the word “vinegar” to confusion over expiration, preservatives, and what seemed like the “chefs” own admission to not knowing what the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) stands for, here’s everything you need to know about the controversial sauce.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Videos about the sauce go back to June on her account. She has poured the pink sauce over food like Popeyes, fried shrimp, chicken wings, and tacos. The sauce can seemingly go on anything. Naturally, with any viral trend, people wanted to know what it was about and what it tasted like. One of the videos, with over 11 million views, shows her making the sauce in what looks like the kitchen of her home without gloves.
THE CONTROVERSY
Shipping began on July 1st, selling over 700 bottles. Once people began getting their orders, some received bottles that had exploded inside of the bag she shipped them in, others claimed they got sick after consuming it. People began doing reviews on the Pepto Bismol-looking sauce, with many describing it as a sweet watery ranch. There was also confusion as to why the pink sauce’s color had changed over time and varied from bottle to bottle. The ingredients list added more confusion, as milk was listed in the ingredients, but there were no preservatives, or ice sent with the bottle to keep it at the right temperature. Vinegar was also misspelled, written as “vinger. It also claimed to have 444 servings, which was impossible. Some believe she included the “angel numbers” to add to its charm. People also noticed that some of the bottles containing the watery pink sauce appeared to be bloated, which could be a sign that there is a bacterial reaction occurring because of the gas production. Naturally, people wanted answers, like where and how she was making the sauce, and if it was safe to eat.
HOW SHE RESPONDED
Pii changed the way the bottles were being shipped, claiming only 50 people received bottles that exploded. She did own up to the label errors, saying there was a typo that confused the number of grams of product with the number of servings, saying there are only about 30 servings, totaling 444 grams. As for the milk? She said the label has been changed to “dry milk,” which would make it shelf stable. However, the sauce maker also added the instructions to “please refrigerate.”
Then in an over 50-minute Youtube video, she claimed the sauce was made in an “FDA Approved commercial facility” in Florida. But as noted by Complex, according to the federal agency’s official website, “the FDA doesn’t approve facilities.” Instead, they have the authority “to inspect regulated facilities to verify that they comply with current good manufacturing practices.” As the controversy continued, Chef Pii did a live stream, which only added to more concern. Viewers in the comments kept asking if the produce she was selling was FDA Approved. “What do you mean FDA approved? I don’t sell medical products,” she said, “The pink sauce is not a medical product, the pink sauce don’t contribute to your health. I never said that, did I?”