Before a model struts the runway at New York Fashion Week, they should probably make sure they can walk in heels first. And before someone manages to charm their way into a high-profile movie role, they should probably know how to act.
The same could be said for chefs trying to mass produce a product—before crafting a social media hype train, complete with hip branding and a cool name, maybe they should make sure to consistently mass produce and package it safely so that it doesn’t make people sick.
This is what folks claimed happened with Chef Pii’s Pink Sauce, a product that went TikTok viral and had a slew of food reviewers and people eager to try the offering. The Daily Dot has spoken with Chef Pii about the controversy surrounding her passion project, which she has been persistently marketing on TikTok.
With complaints rolling in about product quality, and inconsistency of colors varying from bottle to bottle, Pink Sauce received a second lifeline after Pii secured a deal with Dave’s Gourmet, a longtime hot sauce and pasta sauce producer that negotiated a deal with Walmart.
Pii scored big—she created a product that demonstrably captured peoples’ attention and now, it was being offered by one of the world’s largest and most frequented retailers.
However, one Walmart shopper recently went TikTok viral after highlighting that bottles of Pink Sauce were on the clearance shelf of a store she visited. A user named Beth (@sadstar) showed off the bottles in a viral clip that has garnered over 3.8 million views as of Saturday and also remarked on the distinct differences in colors between the various bottles.
@sadstar ♬ original sound – Beth
Beth records the video in a Walmart aisle in front of a shelf lined with the infamous pink sauce.
“So, in case everyone was wondering how it’s going for the Pink Sauce, it is in the clearance section,” she says.
“And if you’re wondering how much, it is .50 cents oh my gosh. Oh, this is Fruit Loop Gummies,” she says, showing off the price tag that is indeed carrying the description for a completely different product on the sticker.
“OK, maybe not .50 cents, it says it’s still $8 but why would, no. Why would you pay them they’re all different colors,” she says to close out the clip.
One commenter remarked that the disparity in colors, which has throngs of folks calling its quality control into question, had them leery.
“The all different colors scare me so much,” they wrote.
Another user appeared to not understand the hype behind the sauce and that they have no desire to ever try it, writing, “I will have lived and died, and never tried the Pink Sauce…..I’m ok with that lol It’s scary.”
One TikToker also said Chef Pii previously got angry when she was asked whether the product was FDA approved.
“Does anyone remb when she got mad ppl were asking if it was fda approved & she said it wasn’t medical equipment?” they wrote.
“I just read the ingredients in,” another shared. “So it’s basically a dragon fruit ranch dressing?”
A commenter who said they’re a Walmart employee shared their experience in dealing with Pink Sauce.
“I work at Walmart, it’s still on the shelf with the rest of the condiments,” they claimed. “It’s $7.78, has 1 facing, and only 1 has been sold lol.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dave’s Gourmet via email and Beth via TikTok comment.
