If you regularly scroll through TikTok and Instagram, you've likely seen your fair share of gross 2022 food trends. After all, some popular food ideas are questionable at best, while others are even unsafe.
Now, if you enjoy some of these trends (and they're safe to do), then that's great — no judgement here. But personally? We'll be leaving these controversial food trends behind in 2022.
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1. Balsamic Vinegar Soda
According to fans, balsamic vinegar and seltzer tastes just like Coke. And while both ingredients are undoubtedly delicious when consumed separately, we can't get behind the idea of this seltzer hack in the form of vinegar-infused soda. Not to mention, the acidity of the dink — known as "healthy Coke" — can be harmful for the teeth, throat, and stomach, especially if you already have issues in those areas.
2. Frozen Eggs
In 2022, people were obsessed with freezing whole eggs, removing the shell, and then slicing and frying them to make mini fried eggs. The only problem? According to the Food and Drug Administration, the shells of fresh eggs can have harmful bacteria (salmonella, to be exact). When frozen, the liquid in the egg can expand, potentially causing the shell to crack and leading to bacterial contamination.
In fact, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) told TODAY that they are against using this specific cooking technique.
3. Pink Sauce
The year of 2022 saw the rise of Pink Sauce, a strikingly bright sauce that's, well, pink. It includes ingredients such as dragon fruit, honey, chili, sunflower seed oil, and garlic. Unfortunately, its trendiness was partly due to safety concerns, as reported by Fast Company and the Los Angeles Times. While those issues may now be resolved, some people aren't loving the idea of dipping food into a condiment that looks like Pepto Bismol.
4. Watermelon Pizza
Sorry, pizza lovers ... but this is actually a thing. Another questionable 2022 food trend involved adding actual pizza toppings (i.e., cheese) on pizza and cooking it on the grill. Personally, we can understand grilled watermelon or watermelon with sweet toppings, but this is going to be a hard pass for us.
5. Tomato Buns
In 2022, tomato buns took over the low-carb scene. But let's be real — even if you love tomatoes, this trend is gross in terms of cleanliness. The juice, after all, can get really messy! If you must skip the buns, consider cutting the tomatoes into thinner slices and keeping them raw, or opting for something like lettuce or kale leaves.