A mere three weeks since Pink Sauce bathed our TikTok feeds in electric-pink-hued controversy, the goopy condiment has rebounded from its food-safety-fueled fall from grace. On Wednesday, Dave’s Gourmet Sauce announced that it will produce Pink Sauce on a commercial scale this fall, partnering with Pink Sauce creator Chef Pii to market a “shelf-stable” version that is “less complicated, dairy-free, and clean of any preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.”
The press release’s insistence on safety is a nod to Pink Sauce’s initial downfall. In July, as rancid-smelling bottles of the concoction (some that had exploded in transit) arrived at the doorsteps of awaiting consumers, ire and scrutiny quickly replaced any semblance of allure around the supposedly “sweet, spicy, and tangy” condiment. Food scientists and disgruntled Pink Sauce recipients argued that the perishable sauce—which listed milk among its ingredients but notably lacked preservatives and storage instructions—was unsafe for consumption. Chef Pii conceded to the flaws of her product and its rushed rollout, promising to implement better safeguards for future shipments.
Rather than culminating in a cautionary tale, warning of the incompatibility of TikTok virality and a safe-for-consumption food product, Pink Sauce has found itself a redemption arc. Is majorly flopping on TikTok and selling an allegedly spoiled product, in fact, the secret sauce to achieving mass-scale commercial success?
Citing Chef Pii’s mass following and 154 million views on TikTok, Dave’s Gourmet Sauce suggests in its press release that her virality (regardless of the means through which that virality was achieved) piqued their interest, carrying with it the potential to tap into a consumer market. Dave’s Gourmet is otherwise known for its suite of pasta sauces and hot sauces, sold at nationwide retailers like Whole Foods, Walmart, and Amazon. (Chef Pii did not immediately respond to request for comment.)
“The youth of today have their fingers on the pulse of what their contemporaries want but may not have the knowledge, ability or capital to bring a product idea to market quickly, safely and on a large scale,” Dave’s Gourmet wrote in today’s press release.
As a self-proclaimed Youth of Today, I’m skeptical that TikTok’s pulse should be the ultimate barometer of success when it comes to consumer goods. Capitalizing on short attention spans, TikTok leverages aesthetics above all, allowing visually appealing (and nutritionally questionable?) flubs to slip through the cracks. TikTok is already notorious for things like platforming harmful and unproven weight loss remedies, which promote a toxic ideology around body image to its young audience. If Pink Sauce’s success story inspires other Youths of Today to create questionably safe foods, maybe legitimizing the sauce isn’t the answer.
