Does anyone know WHO started dying cheddar cheese orange and why? See – I grew up eating sharp cheddar cheese that my mom called ‘farmer cheese’ and it was off white, just like monterey jack cheese is. You could also get like triple and quadruple sharp cheddar cheese, which would almost cut the inside of your mouth with its sharpness (still good though – LOL). But none of it was ORANGE, and it didn’t need to be. I bring this important matter to your attention because we had stored a small end piece of monterey jack next to this California Orange Cheddar and the jack cheese turned a little orange where it was touching the cheddar. OH, THE TRAUMA!!!