As new federal rules push food and beverage makers away from artificial dyes, dairy developers are facing one of the toughest reformulation challenges yet. In Part 1 of our three‑part series, food scientist Dr. Abbey Thiel reveals why milk’s shifting pH, heat treatments, and constant exposure to light make natural coloring uniquely complex—and how carotenoid-based pigments are emerging as the secret to vibrant, stable dairy shades. Dive in to discover what it really takes to make natural colors work in dairy.