Why Is Cheese Orange? The Marketing and Science Behind It

The vibrant orange hue of cheese has been shaped by centuries of marketing, science, and agricultural practices. While cheesemaking traces back to ancient sheep herding societies, the transition to cow's milk significantly altered how cheese was perceived. Initially, sheep-produced cheese remained white due to the inability of their bodies to transfer beta carotene—a compound responsible for color—from grass into their milk. Meanwhile, cows could metabolically process this compound, leading to their cheese typically appearing yellow. This perceptible quality led to a consumer preference for yellow cheese, which cheesemakers strove to guarantee. Thus, when it became more profitable to sell butter, they cleverly devised a means to artificially color their pale milk cheese. Starting in the 1400s, the introduction of colorants like annatto seeds from South America revolutionized this process, allowing cheese to be produced that matched consumer expectations economically. Despite changes in farming methods over centuries, the expectation for vividly colored cheese has remained. Today, consumers can still find options ranging from dyed cheddar to naturally tinted varieties depending on their taste preferences. This complex interplay of biology, marketing, and tradition continues to define how we perceive and enjoy cheese today.