How Cheddar Gets That Bright, Glowy Orange Color - Chowhound

So, how did orange become the default color for cheddar? Well, it starts — like all cheeses do — with the cow. In centuries past, many dairies in England raised and bred Jersey and Guernsey cows, two breeds that produced milk with a richer color than the usual white milk we know now, due to the beta-carotene in their diet. The cheese produced from this milk often had a naturally yellow or orangish pigment that…