It started about a month ago. A TikToker who calls herself Chef Pii began posting videos of a thick, pink condiment she had created. They showed her slathering it on everything from hamburgers to fried chicken.
It caught the interest of subscribers, then others, and quickly became a viral sensation, amassing 90 million views, with one overriding question: What was this Pepto-Bismol concoction—and what did it taste like?
At the start of July, Chef Pii began selling the sauce online for $20 a bottle, looking to capitalize on the curiosity. But the ingredients are giving some experts pause, to the point that they’re warning fans not to consume the product.
According to the Pink Sauce website, the condiment is made up of these ingredients:
- Water
- Sunflower seed oil
- Raw honey
- Distilled vinegar
- Garlic
- Pitaya Pink Himalayan sea salt
- Less than 2% of dried spices
- Lemon juice
- Milk
- Citric acid
The bottle is shipped without refrigeration and initially did not include refrigeration instructions. And Pink Sauce is definitely not FDA-approved.
People on TikTok who have ordered the product have noted a discrepancy in the consistency of the product, from watery to chunky, as well as the color of the sauce. Some bottles opened during shipping.
Experts also warn that the raw honey in the product could cause botulism.
Chef Pii has posted a video apologizing for typos on the label and an error with the number of servings.
“I’m only human. I am not perfect,” Chef Pii said in the video. “This is a small business that’s just moving really, really fast.”
As for what Pink Sauce tastes like? Some of those willing to gamble on food poisoning and look past the shipping and label issues have reported it tastes a lot like ranch dressing. Other descriptions include “sweet” and “tangy.”
Despite the issues, Chef Pii is moving forward, trying to lower the cost of the product, and she says she hopes to get it on store shelves eventually. For now, though, she has paused production to address all those health concerns.
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