Chef Pii enjoying Pink Sauce. Source: Dave's Gourmet
Chef Pii, real name Veronica Shaw, is living her saucy dreams! After the controversial launch of her sweet-and-sour Pink Sauce last summer, the private chef partnered with food product company Dave’s Gourmet to refine the product. Now, Walmart is rolling out the pink food accessory online and in over 4,300 stores nationwide.[-p
Chef Pii told the Los Angeles Times that she wakes up daily with a smile and the urge to keep growing as an entrepreneur.
She said:
“Everything is still kind of surreal. But it’s very real. We’ve been working very hard for the pink sauce to come out so soon in 4,300 stores. I mean, it’s crazy. More than anything, I have a smile on my face every day. I wake up, and I do what I have to do to better myself as a person and a businesswoman because there’s somebody else watching me, and I’m giving someone else hope. That’s the biggest gift.”
Walmart will exclusively carry Chef Pii’s creation until July 2023–a partnership that’s been in the works since last summer. And yes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the pink condiment for commercial sale, according to Dave’s Jan. 11 press release.
“Consumers can now purchase a vegan and gluten-free version of the sensational sauce that Chef Pii had developed in her Miami kitchen. The sauce is manufactured under FDA guidelines in an SQF-certified facility and is shelf-stable.”
The FDA approval and re-launch come months after multiple concerns about its consumption safety, incorrect labeling, and botched deliveries halted production last summer.
Critiques poured in after the pink goop gained viral recognition across social platforms in June. TikTok and Instagram users carried on about the condiment for weeks–as the product’s new labeling suggests.
Eventually, with all the chatter on social media and various customer accusations of receiving rotten versions of the sauce, the FDA placed Chef Pii under investigation.
At one point amid the backlash, Chef Pii stirred additional criticism by seemingly suggesting she didn’t know the meaning of FDA. She told Instagram followers that she doesn’t “sell medical products” when someone asked if the condiment was government-regulated.
During an August interview with TSR Investigates’ Justin Carter, Pii said the sauce “blew up before [she] had time to grow like a regular business.”
In the interview, she revealed that Dave’s Gourmet had joined her Pink Sauce journey in an exclusive partnership. According to the press release, here’s what they’re responsible for in this re-launch:
“Chef Pii and Dave’s Gourmet entered into an exclusive partnership whereby Dave’s Gourmet assumed responsibility as the exclusive supplier and distributor of Pink Sauce. Dave’s Gourmet is producing Pink Sauce on a commercial scale under the required food safety manufacturing guidelines, as well as selling the product through retail, foodservice, and e-commerce channels in the U.S. and other countries. Chef Pii continues to drive social media and other aspects of Pink Sauce.”
Chef Pii sold 1,600 units of her sauce during its first production run–about $50,000 worth at $20 for each unit. On TSR Investigates, she revealed her goal was to model herself with her sauce, meaning creating something “crazy, sexy, cool, and delicious.” She echoed her strive for uniqueness while speaking to the L.A. Times.
Shaw said:
“I wanted a unique sauce. I wanted something that tasted like nothing else, but also to have a natural bright color and I was able to accomplish that. And, you know, I believe that’s why the world became so curious about the product.”
When she partnered with Dave’s Gourmet, her two conditions included keeping the product’s bright color natural and its flavor profile. Some of the initial ingredients included sunflower seed oil, pitaya, raw honey, and less than 2% of milk and citric acid.
Now, the sauce still contains pitaya (dragon fruit) for its coloring but also features coconut cream, canola oil, onion powder, and ranch flavoring. Most importantly, it includes ingredients assisting its shelf life, which is 18 months, and no dairy products. It’s also bottled in a 13-ounce glass bottle with a white seal instead of a plastic squirt bottle with a yellow cap.
