The celebrity chef and TikTok creator known as the Flavor Genie has been the subject of controversy due to her producing and selling “Pink Sauce.” This condiment is so pink that it looks like it could have come from Elle Woods herself, but it seems to make people sick.
This sauce is not the subtle pink flavor that Utahns might expect from their favorite condiment and it’s also not the pleasant pink that pasta fans expect from vodka sauce — it’s often a neon pink hue. The word “often” is key, because according to Mashable, this sauce has ranged from a blush pink (also known as “millennial pink”) to a color that looks like it was inspired by Barbie.
Reminiscent of the color of Pepto-Bismol, this sauce has taken the internet by storm.
Mashable reported that the Flavor Genie revealed the secret ingredient that makes this sauce so pink: dragon fruit. In fact, she’s unveiled all of the ingredients in the sauce: dragon fruit, sunflower seed oil, honey, chili and garlic.
However, speculation about the ingredients of the sauce has run rampant on social media. One Twitter user thought that it was ketchup and mayo that came together to make the pink sauce.
mayo and ketchup before making pink sauce https://t.co/RxYtR8OsCU
— Renesmee (@amandabynesalt) July 16, 2022
On the Pink Sauce website, the sauce — packaged in a clear bottle — is available to purchase for $20. However, the packaging of the sauce has caused some controversy. Some Twitter users are claiming that the sauce doesn’t have any preservatives and that it isn’t refrigerated in transit. Also, the label on the sauce incorrectly stated that it held 444 servings per bottle.
People are buying unrefrigerated “pink sauce” with no preservatives from a stranger on TikTok and are shocked when they get sick? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/IVTKXzfT2h
— Ricky “Release the trade” Ricardo (@iconstatusonly) July 19, 2022
Responding to the controversy, the Flavor Genie posted a TikTok video apologizing for the incorrect label and thanking her followers for their support. She said that she has been following FDA standards, but the product is currently in lab testing.
She has posted several videos of her eating this sauce on fried chicken, hamburgers and fast food. Users have described the sauce as “sweet and ranch-like.”
In the meantime, the sauce continues to be a meme on Twitter, with even Netflix weighing in.
Just got my pink sauce. I know what I'm doing tonight! pic.twitter.com/G1Rf7pVLSr
— Netflix (@netflix) July 21, 2022