Thanks to TikTok, the internet has been introduced to hundreds of food hacks, new snacks, and easy recipes. But the most recent TikTok food sensation is a little more controversial. With its vibrant colour and cute minimalist packaging, the ‘pink sauce’ is TikTok’s latest food trend. Created by Veronica Shaw (@chef.pii), the pink sauce caught the internet’s attention when she posted a TikTok of herself drizzling fried chicken with it. The initial video went viral, with thousands of people curious to know what it was made of. A month later, Veronica started selling the infamous sauce for $20 a bottle. However, the pink sauce saga doesn’t end there…
The main reason the pink sauce caught TikTok’s attention was the lack of information about its taste or ingredients. This mystery aspect had people rushing to buy it just to find out if it was as good as Veronica claimed. Although other TikTok users were providing reviews of the sauce, Veronica remained cryptic in her responses to questions. This led to a level of suspicion, as people began pointing out inconsistencies in the sauces’ colour in Veronica’s videos. To dispel the rumours, Veronica made a video explaining that the colour differences were due to lighting. She also finally revealed the ingredients: dragon fruit, sunflower seed oil, honey, chilli, and garlic.
@chef.pii PINK SAUCE 💖🔥
♬ original sound – PINK SAUCE QUEEN 👑💖🤤
The Pink Sauce had some serious red flags
After the pink sauce went on sale, the controversy started to spread. On the website, people noticed several red flags. There were misspellings in the ingredients list (such as vinegar being spelt as ‘vinger’) and the servings per bottle being listed as 444. Others who had ordered the sauce revealed that their pink sauce has arrived open, smelling rotten, or a completely different shade of pink. TikToker @seansvv created several detailed videos about the creation of the sauce and the drama that ensued. He called out Veronica for the errors on the nutritional label and how hard it was to find the nutrition information on the website.
@seansvv @slay has a great video diving into food safety and regulations for shelf stable products. #thepinksauce #legal #shelfstable #preppertok #cottagelaw
♬ original sound – SEAN [They/Them]
More concerningly, TikTok user @annareportsnews highlighted that the lack of preservatives in the sauce means it needs to be refrigerated. However, nowhere on the nutrition label does it say the sauce should be kept in the refrigerator.
@annareportsnews #greenscreen PINK SAUCE! #theorywithanna #pinksauce #thepinksauce #food #foodie #drama #tea #expose #exposing #scandal #scandals #tasting
♬ original sound – Anna Reports News
After the countless videos about the issues with the sauce, Veronica returned to TikTok to give some updates. She apologized for the label errors and stressed that the nutritional labels will be fixed for all future bottles.
So, what does the Pink Sauce even taste like?
Despite Veronica not saying what her sauce tastes like, hundreds of TikTokers tried it and gave reviews. According to Jade Amber (@jade.amberrrrr), it tastes like ranch dressing but is slightly sweeter.
@jade.amberrrrr Reply to @ihatedes pink sauce review
♬ original sound – jade amber
Another reviewer, @OfficialTashaa, compared the taste to sweet and sour sauce from McDonald’s but was less spicey.
@officialtashaa Replying to @officialtashaa that’s all for now folks #officialtashaa #pinksauce #pinksaucereview #watchmeat #explore
♬ original sound – OfficialTashaa
Overall, the verdict appears to be that the pink sauce isn’t bad but it’s not worth $20 or the hype.
English student at Queen's University Belfast
