Believing pink lemonade is the same as strawberry or raspberry lemonade is a common misconception.
A TikToker is putting Minute Maid on notice discovering what flavor the brand’s pink lemonade is in a video with 2.6 million views.
“Consider my flabbers gasted,” TikTok user @decrepitvibes starts as she sits in her car. “When I go to look up ‘what is pink lemonade flavor,’ because I know it’s not strawberry. … I guess I just assumed it was pink.”
She says that upon googling the flavor, she “uncovered the scheme of the century.”
“It’s just regular lemonade made girly pop with food coloring,” she says before giving Minute Maid “12 hours to respond.”
@decrepitvibes minute maid you have 12 hours to respond
♬ original sound – decrepitvibes
The comments section is divided into two camps—those who are well aware of what the pink lemonade flavor is and those who are finding out alongside @decrepitvibes.
“I just assumed it was strawberry lemonade,” one viewer wrote.
“People didn’t know this?” another asked.
“I fear this is common sense,” a third said.
While Minute Maid has not yet to respond to the TikTok, Google did join in on the fun. “A search away from flabbergasted at all times,” the company commented, to which @decrepitvibes responded with a tinge of regret at her latest Google search.
“In my [ceaseless] pursuit of knowledge, i googled too close to the sun this time,” she wrote.
Pink lemonade ingredients
Pink lemonade can be made with natural coloring to give it a pink tint. Some natural food coloring include strawberries, raspberries, cranberry juice, beets, or grenadine However, Minute Maid’s pink lemonade gets its color from artificial food coloring. According to its ingredients list, Minute Maid’s pink lemonade says it contains Red Dye 40.
What is Red Dye 40?
According to Healthline, adding Red Dye 40 to beverages is common. “Red Dye 40 is one of the most widely used food dyes, as well as one of the most controversial. The dye is thought to be linked to allergies, migraine, and mental disorders in children,” Healthline notes.
The color additive is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds it to be of “low concern,” according to Healthline. “Furthermore, the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization agree that the estimated dietary exposure to Red Dye 40 for people of all ages is not a health concern,” the health site notes.
However, the dye is controversial as some research has linked it to allergies, migraine, and mental disorders.
The Daily Dot reached out to @decrepitvibes as well as to the Coca-Cola Company, which owns Minute Maid, via email.
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