TikTokers divided over the safety of mysterious 'pink sauce': 'Don't do it'

People are trying to figure out the mystery behind TikTok’s infamous “pink sauce.” The vibrant (and questionable) condiment recently sparked controversy, with reviews from unhappy customers.

TikToker @chef.pii created the pink sauce and started promoting her new product on the app in early June. A private chef based in Miami, @chef.pii previously owned a takeout restaurant called Flavor Crazy, where she would offer customers samples of the mixture. Various videos on @chef.pii’s account show her drizzling the condiment on different dishes, including fried chicken, a gyro wrap, a taco and a Big Mac.

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The bright color of the sauce divided TikTokers; some were intrigued, but others compared it to Pepto Bismol.

“It would throw me off, and I would start gagging, idk,” a TikTok user commented.

“Maybe if it was sum’ like orange sauce, I’d feel better eating it,” another wrote.

“If it’s colored w just regular food coloring… hell no,” someone said.

Other TikTokers were frustrated that @chef.pii would never openly disclose how the concoction tastes. @chef.pii eventually responded to viewers with a TikTok that displayed the pink sauce’s alleged ingredients. The clip claimed that a bottle contains sunflower seed oil, dragon fruit, honey, “chilli” and garlic.

Despite the mixed reactions, @chef.pii launched the pink sauce for online sale on July 1. TikTokers brave enough to try the pink sauce purchased it online for $20. While the conversation was lighthearted initially, the saga took a turn for the worse as customers began receiving their orders in the mail.

Many who purchased the pink sauce have come out to say that there are no fancy ingredients in the condiment; TikToker Chris shared her honest review, emphasizing its similarity to ranch dressing.

“They weren’t lying. It literally tastes like a sweet ranch,” Chris said. “With like, a dash of seasoned salt.”

Chris and many other TikTokers who bought @chef.pii’s condiment also complained about the mixture being too “runny” or “watery.” Viewers also noted that in each video they’ve seen of the pink sauce, the bottle is always a different shade of pink.

Another cause for concern was the pink sauce’s nutrition label, or in some cases, a lack thereof. TikToker Trenton Stewart received two bottles of pink sauce, and revealed in the comments that one of the bottles had a nutrition label on the back, while the other only came with “a little sheet of paper that had the facts on it.”

The pink sauce’s official website also displays the condiment’s nutrition label. The facts state that a bottle of pink sauce has “444 servings per container”. Others noted that the ingredients list has no preservatives and misspells vinegar as “vinger.” The bottle does not list the expiration date and instructs people to refrigerate the sauce, even though it has been shipped to consumers without any cooling insulation.

@chef.pii recently defended her brand against the “444 servings” controversy. She claimed that the serving size was simply a mix-up.

“The grams got mixed up with the serving size. There’s 444 grams of pink sauce inside of each container,” @chef.pii explained. “It’s about 30 servings per container. It was a mistake. We fixed the issue. You guys will not be receiving pink sauce bottles with the bad label.”

@chef.pii also claimed that her team follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s standards and that the product is undergoing lab testing so the team can sell it in stores. However, the condiment does not yet have any official indication that it is FDA-approved.

With the pink sauce’s current FDA status and ingredient list, experts advise against consuming the condiment. Food safety expert and chef Brigette Joseph told Yahoo Life that food products must receive FDA approval before being shipped to locations far from production. The pink sauce also contains raw honey, which could be a potential cause of food poisoning.

“In some cases, raw honey can cause botulism — an extreme case of food poisoning — due to natural bacteria that exists in it,” Joseph said. “So it is no surprise that some people report that they got violently ill after eating the pink sauce.”

TikTokers did not react well to @chef.pii’s explanations and apology.

“You CAN NOT make mistakes when it comes to food. If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t do it,” someone wrote.

“A quality control team could’ve saved you a lot of trouble,” another commented.

The post TikTok divided over the mysterious ‘pink sauce’: Why the condiment isn’t safe to eat appeared first on In The Know.

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