Lost in the Sauce

Like many of the things currently trending online, Pink Sauce first went viral on TikTok. While Pink Sauce found itself becoming a viral household name unfortunately, it is now widely talked about for not-so-good reasons.

What is the negative press coming from? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has some safety concerns about Pink Sauce. This time, the product concern has less to do with potentially carcinogenic color fillers (re: the Skittles lawsuit) and more to do with labeling inconsistencies. These label inconsistencies are what prompted the FDA's investigation of Pink Sauce. The FDA has semi-strict safety rules and clearly listing all active ingredients on products is one of them.

You may recall in a previous blog post we briefly covered the history of the FDA. If not or if you're a new reader, at a high level, prior to 1906 there were not many regulatory laws nor federal regulatory groups that controlled nor tested what could be released into American markets and we did not officially get the FDA until about 1927. While it is helpful to have something in place to protect people from potentially harmful substances, remember that FDA approval does not necessarily mean safe for human consumption nor exposure. Recall that at one point, DDT (an insecticide that had serious environmental and human health impacts) was once widely used commercially and was even distributed as a household insecticide. Also recall that DDT was at one point considered compliant with the FDA in terms of production, distribution, and labeling. If DDT could be FDA approved, imagine what items that are not FDA approved could impact.

Are you still feeling sure about Pink Sauce?  To that point - what is Pink Sauce anyway? Allegedly, Pink Sauce is some sort of concoction containing dragon fruit, sunflower seed oil, garlic, chili, honey, milk, soy, and distilled vinegar. Pink Sauce appears to have the consistency of ketchup and the bright pink color is reminiscent of Pepto-Bismol. Allegedly, Pink Sauce has a sweet and spicy taste and in most of the TikTok clips and online reviews that we have seen, people seem to enjoy the flavor and consistency despite the odd color. Pink Sauce was created by a Miami-based TikTok-er who has stated that they fully intend to comply with the FDA investigation. Known for its unnatural bright pink flavor, Pink Sauce gained its popularity off of shock factor with many people paying $20 for a taste and well, of course views. Pink Sauce has been paired with a variety of foods from veggies to meats, to even pastas.

Maybe it tastes good, but even if it does not, to be distributed in the U.S. as food, it has to pass the minimum requirements that the FDA has. So far there have not been any major lawsuits nor injuries, so at this point the Pink Sauce is safe. So, the next time you taste something delicious at a restaurant or your friend brings you something homemade, think twice before recommending they sell it for the masses. How has the creator of Pink Sauce responded? As of right now, the U.S. based creator has stated that they intend to fully cooperate with the FDA investigation. The creator has also claimed that the process to make and bottle Pink Sauce is FDA compliant as it is allegedly produced in an FDA certified facility.

If you're feeling lucky, take the chance and try it. If not, wait for the FDA investigation to shed light on what is really in the sauce and whether or not it is safe for human consumption.