Kamil Perry
The colour of cheese is influenced by the type of milk used, which in turn depends on the diet of the cows that produce it. When cows eat primarily green grass, the resulting milk is tinted yellow or orange due to the presence of beta-carotene, a pigment found in grass. This milk then produces yellow cheese. However, the process of making cheese, particularly the separation of milk proteins, can also affect the colour, making it appear whiter. Additionally, the use of food colouring, such as annatto, has been a common practice to enhance the yellow colour and create a more consistent product, especially in commercial cheese production.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for colouring cheese | To hide the lack of cream in the cheese |
| Colouring agents | Saffron, marigold, carrot juice, annatto, turmeric |
| Natural colour | Caused by beta-carotene, a pigment found in grass |
| Beta-carotene | A signal of higher vitamin content |
| Colour variation | Depends on the cows' nutrition |
| Colour variation | Depends on the breed of cow |
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What You'll Learn
Beta-carotene in cows' diets
The colour of cheese is influenced by the diet of the cows producing the milk. When cows eat primarily green grass, the butterfat in milk is tinted a natural yellow or orange colour, which in turn makes the cheese produced from that milk yellow. This is due to the presence of beta-carotene in the grass. Beta-carotene is a pigment that occurs naturally in plants and is responsible for the yellow, orange, or red colours in fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, and sweet potatoes.
Different breeds of cows process beta-carotene in their diets differently, so two cows eating the same thing may produce milk that results in different-coloured cheese. For example, Jersey cows' milk tends to look more yellow than Holstein cows' milk. The time of year also affects the colour of the cheese, as the beta-carotene content in grasses varies seasonally.
Cheesemakers have historically added colourants like saffron, marigold, carrot juice, and annatto to mimic the yellowing effect of beta-carotene and make their cheese appear more appealing and higher quality. This practice began because cheese made with whole fat was a sign of quality, but dairy farmers could not sell the cream separately. Skimmed milk cheese would be white, so some cheesemakers added colourants to disguise the lack of cream and sell their product for a higher price.
In addition to its role in cheese colouration, beta-carotene has been studied for its potential effects on the health and fertility of dairy cows. Some research suggests that beta-carotene supplementation can improve reproductive performance and ovarian activity in cows, while other studies indicate that high carotene intake may negatively impact fertility. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the role of beta-carotene in cow nutrition and health.
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Annatto, a natural dye
Annatto was originally used to mimic the yellowing of good summer milk when makers were making lower-quality winter milk cheese. In the summer, cows eat grass with a higher content of beta-carotene, which gives their milk a natural yellow colour. In the winter, when cows eat less grass, the milk they produce is whiter. Cheese made from this milk was considered lower quality, so cheese makers added annatto to improve its appearance.
Over time, adding annatto to cheese became traditional, and certain styles of cheese were expected to be orange or yellow. Today, annatto is still used to colour certain types of cheese, such as American cheese and Gouda, and to satisfy consumer expectations of what cheese should look like.
Beta-carotene, the pigment that dissolves into the fat stores of cows and ends up in their milk, is also responsible for the orange colour of carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. It is a sign of higher vitamin content and is more concentrated in the milk of cows that graze on open pasture.
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Historical deception
The history of cheese is not without its deceptions. While the colour of cheese is often a natural outcome of the cheese-making process, it has also been manipulated by cheese-makers over the years.
Before the days of artificial dyes, cheese-makers would use natural ingredients such as saffron, marigold, carrot juice, and annatto to dye their cheese. The practice of adding these colourants began as a way to hide the lack of cream in the cheese. When cows eat primarily green growing grass, the butterfat in milk is tinted a natural yellow or orange colour, and whole milk cheese takes on this yellow hue. However, once the cream is skimmed from the milk, cheese made from it will be white—a sign of lower-quality cheese. Thus, cheese-makers would add dyes to their skimmed-milk cheese to make it appear to be higher quality and command a higher price.
The addition of colourants to cheese also served to create a more consistent product, as the colour of cheese made from spring and summer milk tended to be naturally yellower than that made from fall and winter milk, due to grass being more abundant and nutritious during those seasons. The practice of dyeing cheese to create a consistent colour became standard operating procedure when U.S. commercial cheese production took off in the second half of the 19th century.
Even today, supermarket cheddars are often coloured to satisfy consumer expectations of what cheese should look like. Research has shown that colour preferences influence how people shop for cheddar, and the addition of dye helps to address the problem of inconsistent cheese colour due to the seasonal variations in cows' diets.
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Consumer expectations
The colour yellow in cheese is also linked to nutritional content, particularly the presence of beta-carotene, a fat-soluble pigment found in grass. When cows consume grass rich in beta-carotene, their milk can take on a natural yellow or orange hue. This colour is an indication of higher vitamin content, making yellow cheese nutritionally desirable.
To meet consumer expectations, cheese producers have historically employed various techniques to enhance or manipulate the yellow colour of their products. In the past, cheese makers added natural colourants such as saffron, marigold, carrot juice, and annatto (extracted from the achiote plant) to mimic the yellowing effect of grass-rich diets. This practice, dating back to the 16th or 17th century, was often done to deceive consumers into believing they were purchasing higher-quality, higher-fat cheese.
Today, consumer expectations for consistent cheese colour have led to the widespread use of artificial dyes in cheese production. The colour yellow has become "traditional" for certain cheese styles, and artificial dyes help maintain a uniform appearance, regardless of seasonal variations in cow diets. This standardisation ensures that cheese on supermarket shelves meets consumer expectations of what cheese should look like, with colour preferences influencing purchasing decisions.
However, it is worth noting that consumer awareness of artificial ingredients and natural alternatives is increasing. Some consumers are opting for white cheddar cheese, which contains no food colouring, or are demanding the removal of artificial dyes, as seen with Kraft's decision to stop using artificial dyes in some of their macaroni and cheese products.
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Vitamin content
The yellow colour of cheese is caused by beta-carotene, a pigment found in grass. Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble substance and antioxidant, which is released during the cheese-making process. It is also responsible for the orange colour of carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. Beta-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A, which is converted from beta-carotene in the human body. Vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy skin, immune function, and vision.
When cows consume grass with a high content of beta-carotene, their milk can take on a natural yellow or orange tint. This colour is more pronounced in whole milk, as the cream also contains butterfat, which is rich in beta-carotene. In the past, cheese made from whole milk was considered a sign of quality, so dairy farmers would add colourants to their cheese to make it appear more yellow and thus, higher in fat and of better quality.
The addition of colourants to cheese began as early as the 16th century, with farmers using natural ingredients such as saffron, marigold, carrot juice, and annatto. Annatto, in particular, has been a popular choice for cheese colourant due to its extraction from the achiote plant, which is rich in beta-carotene. The practice of adding colourants to cheese became even more common with the rise of commercial cheese production in the 19th century, as it helped standardize the colour of cheese, which could vary depending on the season and the cows' diet.
Today, the addition of colourants to cheese is still common, especially in supermarket cheddars, to meet consumer expectations of the desired cheese colour. However, there has been a recent shift towards reducing the use of artificial colourants, with some companies opting to remove them from their products. The vitamin content of cheese, particularly in terms of vitamin A, is thus directly related to the presence of beta-carotene, which influences the cheese's colour.
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Frequently asked questions
The yellow colour of cheese is caused by beta-carotene, a pigment found in grass. When cows eat grass, beta-carotene dissolves into their fat stores and ends up in the milk they produce. During the cheese-making process, the pigment is released, making the cheese yellow.
Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble yellow pigment and antioxidant. It is responsible for the orange colour of carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.
The colour of cheese can depend on various factors such as the breed of cow, their diet, and the time of year. For example, cheese made from the milk of Jersey cows tends to be more yellow than that of Holstein cows. Additionally, cheese made from milk produced in the spring and summer, when grass is more abundant, tends to be more yellow than cheese made from milk produced in the fall and winter.
No, only hard or semi-hard cheeses turn yellow. Soft, more acidic cheeses like cottage cheese and feta retain their white colour because they have a dense protein structure that continues to reflect light and conceal the pigment.
No, the practice of dyeing cheese yellow began in the 16th century. Cheese makers noticed that people preferred cheese with a deeper yellow/orange colour, so they started adding colourants to make their cheese more appealing. Over time, it became "traditional" for certain styles of cheese to be orange or yellow.
