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Pink Sauce

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"The Pink Sauce" redirects here. For other uses, see Pink sauce.
The Pink Sauce
Logo used since 2022
Dave Gourmet's Pink Sauce shown in a video in 2023.
Product typeCondiment
OwnerDave's Gourmet
Produced byVeronica Shaw
IntroducedJanuary 11, 2023; 22 months ago (2023-01-11)
Registered as a trademark inUnited States; August 4, 2022[1]
Ambassador(s)Veronica Shaw
Websitethepinksauce.com

Pink Sauce was a pink dipping sauce created by TikTok user Veronica Shaw, better known by her screen name, Chef Pii in summer 2022. Food safety and labeling concerns caused the Food and Drug Administration to stop the production and online sale of Pink Sauce. A recipe change and partnership with Dave's Gourmet brought it to store shelves in January 2023. Pink Sauce was a success, with Shaw allegedly being paid over 120,000 dollars by Dave's Gourmet, despite her claims otherwise.

History

[edit]

Chef Pii revealed the Pink Sauce in a TikTok video on June 11, 2022, and subsequently began fulfilling orders for the sauce.[2][3] The sauce went viral on TikTok in the summer of 2022, with the hashtag #pinksauce gaining over 80 million views.[4] Customers noticed inconsistencies in the ingredient list, with many raising concerns that the sauce may cause botulism. TikTok users also pointed out that the sauce was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.[5]

The product was revised for safety purposes and went back on sale on July 1, 2022.[6] It sold out sometime around August 3, 2022.[7] Chef Pii planned to mass-produce the sauce in the fall of 2022.[8] The ingredients include water, sunflower seed oil, raw honey, distilled vinegar, garlic, dragon fruit, pink Himalayan sea salt, dried spices, lemon juice, milk and citric acid.[9]

Dave's Gourmet reformulated and redesigned The Pink Sauce (shown here being used as a dipping sauce) for proper consumer consumption in January 2023.

On January 11, 2023, following a reformulation of the recipe and packaging redesign to adhere to Food and Drug Administration regulations,[10] Pink Sauce was made available in 4,000 Walmart locations across the United States.[11][12][13] Pink Sauce was a huge success, with Shaw allegedly being paid over 120,000 dollars by Dave's Gourmet despite claims she wasn't being paid well.[14]

Controversy

[edit]

The sauce garnered controversy due to food safety and labeling concerns. Customers noted that the sauce's color varied between batches,[15][16][17] the product was poorly packaged,[18] and that the sauce contained milk which, when packaged in a bag, could be infected by botulism.[19] There were also discrepancies between the amount of sauce in the bottle and the amount specified on the label,[20] and allegations that the sauce contained ingredients which were not included on the label (such as mayonnaise).[18]

Some consumers experienced food poisoning and were hospitalized.[21] Others reported that the product smelled and appeared rotten.[22] One TikTok user faked their death after consuming Pink Sauce as a "social experiment to see how quickly other people could spread misinformation".[23]

On August 21, 2022, YouTuber MatPat made a video about the Pink Sauce on the "Food Theorists" YouTube channel, claiming the ingredients list was unrealistic and that the portions listed on the label were inaccurate. He recommended viewers to not consume the sauce due to potential health risks, but instead to make their own.[24][non-primary source needed]

Response from Chef Pii

[edit]

Chef Pii claimed that she had never weighed the product, so the discrepancy between the amount of sauce indicated on the label and the amount actually in the bottle was due to guesswork.[25] When asked whether her product was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, she stated that her product is not a "medical product", causing further backlash from commenters who noted that the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for regulating food alongside drugs.[26]

In October 2022, Chef Pii appeared on Karamo Brown's talk show, Karamo, to address the controversies surrounding her sauce. She appeared alongside fellow TikTok user Alle Brean, a critic of the sauce who had sent a sample to a lab for testing. While the mistake in labeling was acknowledged,[by whom?] Chef Pii did not address concerns over the shipment of perishable ingredients.[citation needed] Chef Pii criticized Brean for her commentary on the sauce, and accused Brean of "fabricating" claims about her product to "tear down [Chef Pii's] business and livelihood".[27][better source needed] The results of Brean's commissioned lab test were never presented during the segment.[28] Chef Pii's response on the show was met with backlash and the episode was deleted.[29][better source needed] Chef Pii later apologized to Brean through a private message on TikTok.[30]

FDA approval

[edit]

"The F, f'ing, DA, federal, came to my business yesterday. I am 100% compliant, I'm abiding with the FDA...I'm not in trouble. I'm not going to jail. Nobody can accuse the Pink Sauce of anything going forward."

Chef Pii[26]

On August 2, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration opened an investigation into the Pink Sauce.[31] Chef Pii requested and received help from Dave's Gourmet to appropriately alter the recipe, production, and packaging, to adhere to federal food safety standards. The reformulated product received approval from the Food and Drug Administration and was made available in Walmart stores in January 2023.[10]

GoFundMe Page

[edit]

On August 16, 2023, Chef Pii made a GoFundMe page alleging that Dave's Gourmet did not pay her royalties for The Pink Sauce and that she was financially struggling, living off twenty dollars a day and facing eviction.[32] She requested $100,000 on this page. Dave's Gourmet claimed that they had been paying her the contracted amount, which was $120,000 as of August 2023.[33] In October 2023, Dave's Gourmet stated that it had made further payments to Pii, and that it was considering a defamation lawsuit.[34] As of December 2023, no lawsuit has been filed, and Pii's GoFundMe had reached $25,459 out of the $100,000 requested.

References

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  1. ^ "The Pink Sauce Trademark Application of - Serial Number 97534690". trademarks.justia.com.
  2. ^ Lamour, Joseph (July 21, 2022). "What is 'pink sauce'?". Today.
  3. ^ [better source needed]Lustig, Hanna (September 16, 2022). "Before You Eat the TikTok-Famous Pink Sauce, Read This". Glamour. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Silberling, Amanda (July 23, 2022). "Pink Sauce went viral on TikTok. But then it exploded (literally)". TechCrunch.
  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. ^ "The Best Viral TikTok Pink Sauce Recipe (Make It Yourself)". pasta.com.
  10. ^ a b "The Viral Pink Sauce Has Been FDA Approved And Is Now On Walmart Shelves". Yahoo Entertainment. January 13, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  11. ^ "Viral TikTok 'pink sauce' is now available at Walmart". news.yahoo.com. January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "The TikTok-Famous Pink Sauce—That Needed FDA Approval—Is Finally Being Sold at Walmart". January 17, 2023.
  14. ^ Bowser, Martie (August 23, 2023). "Dave's Gourmet Says They Paid Pink Sauce Creator Over $120K And Continue To Make All Payments As Due; Both Parties 'In Discussions' - Blavity". Blavity News & Entertainment.
  15. ^ "Viral Pink Sauce Comes With Lengthy Terms and Conditions". Vice. August 28, 2022.
  16. ^ Williams, Ebony (July 31, 2022). "What is PINK Sauce and why is it all over TikTok?". roanoke.com.
  17. ^ Gault, Matthew (August 1, 2022). "Why TikTok is Obsessed with Pink Sauce". Vice.
  18. ^ a b Heil, Emily (July 21, 2022). "TikTok's Pink Sauce chef defends her viral condiment". The Washington Post.
  19. ^ Lee, Bruce Y. (July 24, 2022). "'Pink Sauce' Goes Viral on TikTok, Here Are the Concerns with This Condiment". Forbes.
  20. ^ Spurs, Terrian; Williams, Austin (July 29, 2022). "TikTok pink sauce: Why is everyone freaking out about this controversial condiment?". q13fox.com.
  21. ^ 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).
  22. ^ Stevens, Ashlie D. (July 22, 2022). "Will someone please just tell me what the heck is "Pink Sauce"?". Salon. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  23. ^ Jordan, Atiya (July 29, 2022). "Chef Pii Speaks Out Against 'Poisoning' People With Her Pink Sauce". Black Enterprise. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  24. ^ Patrick, Matthew (August 21, 2022). "Food Theory: The Pink Sauce Mystery SOLVED (TikTok)". YouTube.
  25. ^ Miller, Korin (July 26, 2022). "Why TikTok's 'Pink Sauce' Has Some Food Safety Experts Very Worried". Health.
  26. ^ a b Harling, Danielle (July 29, 2022). "The Pink Sauce Drama Continues: "They accused me of poisoning the nation."". Delish.com.
  27. ^ 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.
  28. ^ Pink Sauce Lady Embarrassed Herself. YouTube. penguinz0. October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  29. ^ 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". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  30. ^ Glaze, Virginia (November 8, 2022). "Pink Sauce creator apologizes to TikTok critic after talk show appearance goes viral". Dexerto. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  31. ^ Struble, Cristine (August 2, 2022). "Why The FDA Has Just Stepped Into The Viral Pink Sauce Drama". Mashed.
  32. ^ Velasquez, Angelina (August 21, 2023). "'I Don't Even Have Enough Money To Buy My Kids Food': Viral Pink Sauce Creator Reportedly Broke and Facing Eviction, Claims She's Being 'Financially Sabotaged' By Former Manufacturers". Yahoo News. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  33. ^ Weiss, Geoff. "The Pink Sauce creator says she's broke after being 'financially sabotaged' by business partner Dave's Gourmet. The company says it's paid the viral chef $120,000". Insider.com.
  34. ^ Duncan-Smith, Nicole (October 15, 2023). "Food Company Fires Back at Pink Sauce Founder, Alleges Advance Money Was Squandered Before More Requests Came In for Shoes, Back Rent, and a $10,000 Birthday Party". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
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