TikTok, with nearly one billion active users, is no stranger to viral internet trends, from dances to fashion, to life hacks and even food. Food trends like cloud bread, Dalgona coffee or hyper-realistic cake art, have long had a grip on the internet seeping into meme culture and online discourse.
July of 2022, saw the pink sauce take TikTok, and the internet alike, by storm. User Chef Pii, a private chef from Miami, created the viral pink sauce which at first caught the attention of millions of users because of its striking hue, followed quickly by potential food safety concerns. Chef Pii began promoting the mysterious sauce by posting videos of herself trying the sauce with an assortment of foods. However, she refused to tell viewers what the sauce tasted like, often using cryptic descriptors and claiming that the sauce was unlike any other and therefore incomparable.
The mystery surrounding the sauce only spurred on most peoples’ curiosity, with commenters querying what exactly was in the sauce and what herbs and spices were used to flavour it. Several users also pointed out that the pink shade of the sauce kept changing with each video. This was later attributed to the lighting by Chef Pii. She also posted a video revealing the ingredient label of the sauce, which included ingredients such as oil, honey, garlic and notably dragon fruit, from which the sauce would get its pink colour.
Creators such as Raphael Gomes attempted to recreate the sauce based on the ingredients and nutritional facts and found that he was unable to achieve the sauce's look and consistency using only the ingredients listed. Other creators like Sseaansvv and Annareportsnews pointed out several errors in the label itself including the serving size and the refrigeration requirement. Chef Pii spoke to several media outlets addressing food safety concerns. Speaking to Inside Edition she said, “Mistakes happen” and that she working to fix the labels and had halted production for the time being. She also went live, addressing viewer concerns. However, her comments on FDA compliance left many an eyebrow raised. “What do you mean FDA-approved?” she said, “I don’t sell medical products. The Pink Sauce is not a medical product. The Pink Sauce don’t contribute to your health.”
Her responses understandably had Twitter buzzing, with UberFacts pointing out what the ‘F’ in FDA stands for. Following all the memes and discourse on the matter, Chef Pii reached out to her consumers via email reassuring them that they were now cooperating with the FDA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and would await official approval. So Pink Sauce enthusiasts will probably have to wait just a little bit longer before they get to try it.
