Patrick Oconnell
The colour of cheddar cheese has a long and interesting history. In the 17th century, English cheesemakers realised they could increase their profits by adding colouring to their cheese. This tradition then carried over to the US, with cheesemakers in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York adding colouring to their cheddar. The colour added to cheese was often annatto, a natural food colouring made from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree, which gave cheese a rich orange hue. The addition of colouring was done for aesthetic reasons, to make the cheese stand out, and to achieve a uniform colour. Today, the colour of cheddar most often comes from annatto or paprika, and the colour of the cheese does not indicate its quality or flavour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Colour | Cheddar cheese is not naturally orange. The colour comes from annatto, a food colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, or from paprika. |
| Taste | The dye does not affect the flavour of the cheese. |
| History | In the 17th century, English cheesemakers coloured their cheese orange to indicate higher quality. |
| Motivation | The use of dye in cheese was partly traditional and partly a marketing strategy to make the product stand out. |
| Modern Practices | Modern dairy practices have reduced seasonal variation in milk colour, so the colour of cheddar cheese is less indicative of flavour. |
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What You'll Learn
Why is cheddar cheese orange?
The colour of cheddar cheese is influenced by the diet of the cows from which the milk is sourced. In the case of pasture-fed cows, the milk can have a tinge of orange beta-carotene, resulting in a more variable colour that is yellower in spring. This variability in the colour of the cheese drove early cheese lovers' shopping preferences for cheddars with a certain appearance, and cheesemakers sought to meet this demand by using annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree, to create a consistent product with a rich orange hue.
Annatto was imported from Latin America as early as the 16th century and was associated with high-quality cheese. As it became more widely available and cheaper, it started to be used in more common varieties of cheese. The Dutch started colouring their Gouda's with annatto around the same time, and the practice of adding colour to cheese carried over to the United States, with cheesemakers in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York having a long history of colouring cheddar.
The addition of annatto was also driven by marketing considerations, as it made the cheese stand out more in the marketplace. Red Leicester cheese, for example, used annatto or vegetable dye to achieve a unique colour that would distinguish it from other cheeses. The colour of the cheese was also seen as a marker of quality, with the orange pigment in the milk of certain breeds of cows, such as Jersey and Guernsey, being associated with higher-quality cheese.
Today, the colour of cheddar cheese can vary from white to yellow to orange, depending on the season, the cows' diet, and the use of food colouring. The colour of the cheese does not necessarily indicate its flavour, as modern technologies involved in cheesemaking, such as pasteurization, have made it difficult for untrained cheese tasters to detect a difference in taste between cheese made from grass-fed and non-grass-fed cows. However, age is a significant factor in determining the taste of cheddar cheese, with younger cheese being milder and older cheese being sharper and more crumbly.
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What is annatto?
Annatto is a natural food colouring and condiment made from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana), native to tropical regions from Mexico to Brazil. It is also known as 'atsuete', 'urucum', 'biju', 'orellana', and 'achiote'. It is often used to impart a yellow to red-orange colour to foods, but sometimes also for its nutty, peppery, and slightly sweet flavour, and its aroma.
Annatto has been used for centuries for various purposes. It was used for body painting, as sunscreen, as an insect repellent, and for treating disorders, such as heartburn, diarrhoea, ulcers, and skin issues. It was also used for Mexican manuscript painting in the 16th century. In earlier times, the seeds of the plant were also used as a staple food in South and Central America.
Annatto is commonly used to impart a yellow or orange colour to many industrialised and semi-industrialised foods, including cheese, ice cream, bakery products, desserts, fruit fillings, yogurt, butter, oils, margarines, processed cheese, and fat-based products. In the United States, annatto extract is listed as a colour additive "exempt from certification" and is considered a natural colouring. In the European Union, it is identified by the E number E160b.
Annatto has been linked to various health benefits, including reduced inflammation, improved eye and heart health, and anticancer properties. It is high in carotenoids, which may benefit eye health, and is a good source of vitamin E compounds called tocotrienols, which may protect against age-related heart issues.
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Does the dye affect the flavour?
The dye used in cheddar cheese does not noticeably affect its flavour. The colour of the cheese was originally an indicator of quality, with the orange pigment derived from beta-carotene in grass transferring to the cow's milk and then to the cheese. This gave the cheese a rich, orange hue, which was considered a marker of high-quality cheese. However, with modern dairy practices, there is less seasonal variation in milk colour, and the small amounts of dye needed to create the orange colour have little effect on taste or nutritional value.
In the past, cheese producers would add pigment from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to mimic the colour of high-quality cheese. Today, the colour most often comes from annatto, a food colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, and/or paprika. While annatto is added to some cheeses to enhance their flavour, the small amount used in cheddar for colouring does not significantly impact its taste.
Some cheese lovers claim to detect a slightly grassy note in cheddar made from grass-fed cows, but modern cheesemaking technologies, such as pasteurization, make it difficult for untrained palates to discern any difference. The age of the cheese is a more significant factor in determining its flavour. Younger cheddars tend to be milder, creamier, and easier to melt, while aged cheddars develop a sharper, nuttier flavour and a drier, crumbly texture.
In conclusion, while the dye in cheddar cheese may have a subtle, unnoticeable influence on its flavour, it is not a significant factor in determining its taste. The colour of cheddar cheese is more of an aesthetic choice and a historical marker of quality than an indicator of flavour.
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Why is there dye in some cheddars but not others?
Cheddar cheese is not naturally orange. The colour of cheese depends on the diet of the cows from which the milk is obtained. Milk from cows that feed on grass has higher levels of beta-carotene, which lends an orange pigment to the milk and, consequently, the cheese. In the 17th century, this orange pigment was considered a mark of high-quality cheese. To mimic this colour, dairy companies started adding pigment from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to their cheese. This practice was carried over to the US, where cheesemakers in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, and New York have a long history of colouring cheddar.
Today, the colour of cheddar most often comes from annatto, a food colouring made from the seeds of the achiote tree, and/or paprika. Annatto is associated with high-quality cheese and was imported from Latin America as early as the 16th century. The addition of annatto in small quantities does not affect the taste or nutritional value of the cheese. However, when used in high quantities, it can give the cheese a bitter coppery flavour, as in the case of Red Leicester cheese.
The colour of cheddar cheese, therefore, varies based on the presence or absence of dye, which is added for aesthetic and marketing purposes, as well as to achieve a consistent product.
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What colour should cheese be?
In theory, cheese should be whitish, like the colour of milk. However, the colour of cheese can vary from white to yellow to orange, depending on several factors. The most important of these is the diet of the cows from which the milk is obtained. Milk from cows that graze on grass tends to be higher in beta-carotene, which lends an orange pigment to the milk and, consequently, the cheese. This was particularly true in the 17th century, when milk from grass-fed cows was more common, and the resulting cheese had a more variable colour, with the yellowest cheese produced in spring.
Today, grain-fed cows produce milk that yields white cheese, while grass-fed cows produce milk that yields cheese of varying colours, from white to yellow. Modern dairy practices have reduced the seasonal variation in milk colour, so the colour of milk and cheese is less indicative of quality than it was in the past. Nevertheless, some cheese lovers claim they can taste the difference when eating cheese from grass-fed cows, detecting a slightly grassy note.
The colour of cheese has also been influenced by the addition of dyes and colourings. In the past, cheesemakers added pigment from saffron, marigold, and carrot juice to mimic the orange colour associated with high-quality cheese. Today, annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree, is commonly added to cheddar to give it an orange hue. The addition of annatto is not traditional for all types of cheddar, however; it is notably absent from New England cheddars, for example. The use of annatto in colouring cheese is primarily for aesthetic and marketing purposes, to make the cheese stand out and achieve a uniform colour, and it has little effect on the cheese's taste or nutritional value.
In summary, the colour of cheese can vary from white to yellow to orange, depending on the diet of the cows and the addition of dyes and colourings. While the colour of cheese may have been an indicator of quality in the past, modern dairy practices have reduced the variability of milk colour across seasons. Today, the colour of cheese is primarily influenced by aesthetic and marketing considerations, and it is more important to consider factors such as age and flavour when selecting a cheese.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, some cheddar cheese contains dye. The dye is usually annatto, a natural food colouring derived from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree.
The use of dye in cheddar cheese began in 17th-century England. The cheese at the time had a yellowish-orange pigment from the beta-carotene in the grass eaten by certain breeds of cows, such as Jersey and Guernsey. This pigment was considered a mark of quality. To mimic this colour, cheesemakers added dye to their cheese, such as saffron, marigold, and carrot juice.
The addition of annatto in small amounts has little effect on the cheese's taste or nutritional value. However, some cheese lovers claim they can taste a difference when eating cheddar from grass-fed cows, detecting a slightly grassy note.
Yes, annatto is considered safe for consumption and is commonly used as a colouring agent in various foods.
Yes, some cheesemakers prefer to use natural methods to achieve a yellow or orange colour in their cheddar cheese. This can be done by using milk from grass-fed cows, as the beta-carotene in the grass can impart a yellow or orange hue to the cheese. However, the colour variation in the cheese may depend on the season and the cows' diet.
