The Pink Sauce saga continues.
A content creator known as Chef Pii has gone viral recently for selling a mysterious homemade condiment known only as Pink Sauce. While a number of customers have since received their (questionable) Pink Sauce orders, one crucial question about the product remains: Is it safe? According to Chef Pii, yes. But don’t ask her if the Pink Sauce is FDA approved.
“F in FDA” began trending on Twitter earlier this week when Chef Pii – whose real name is Veronica Shaw – fielded questions on social media about the contents of her Pink Sauce. In a TikTok livestream re-posted by one Twitter user, a viewer asks Chef Pii whether her sauce is FDA-approved.
“What do you mean FDA approved?” she said. “I don’t sell medical products. The Pink Sauce is not a medical product. The Pink Sauce don’t contribute to your health. I never said that, did I?”
Of course, Chef Pii’s response prompted hilarious social media reactions from people confirming that the F in FDA does indeed stand for food, as in the US Food and Drug Administration. Even popular Twitter account UberFacts took the moment as an educational opportunity.
While a food product doesn’t necessarily have to be “approved” by the FDA, there are many requirements a manufacturer must follow in accordance with FDA guidelines. According to the agency’s “How to Start a Food Business” guide, the FDA “regulates all foods and food ingredients introduced into or offered for sale in interstate commerce”. Hypothetically speaking, if someone plans on shipping a mysterious homemade condiment across state lines, they are subjected to FDA regulation.
If a person wants to concoct a pink sauce in the privacy of their own kitchen – again, hypothetically – then the private residence must meet the guidelines established by their state and local health department. Food manufacturers are also responsible for developing “truthful and not misleading” nutrition labels for their products.
Does Chef Pii’s Pink Sauce oppose FDA guidelines? Well, many customers did notice ingredients like vinegar had been misspelled as “vinger” on the Pink Sauce nutrition label, and it somehow offered 444 servings per bottle. The nutritional facts also displayed ingredients that weren’t previously advertised, including milk. Some customers even reported busted packaging or a “rotten” smell.
That’s why it’s no surprise Chef Pii claimed on social media that the FDA showed up to her house following the complaints. Shaw had posted a video of herself allegedly speaking to an FDA representative after her product went viral, but it’s unclear whether the visit was real or simply staged to silence her critics.
The viral Pink Sauce goes to show that the internet truly is a bizarre place. And even though many red flags have been raised about the Pink Sauce – misspelled ingredients, angel number serving sizes, and the fact that it’s shipped across state lines in 95 degree heat – the Pink Sauce is currently sold out on her website, because the internet gonna internet.
