The invention provides a method for preparing processed cheese without emulsifying salts, comprising: (a) providing a dairy liquid composition or a gelled dairy composition or both, comprising casein, at least part of which has a proportion of its divalent ions, including calcium ions, replaced with sodium or potassium ions； (b) cooking the composition or the combination of compositions to obtain an emulsion, and (c) cooling the cooked composition to obtain a processed cheese； wherein a substantially insoluble calcium source is mixed with at least one of the compositions at any time before the processed cheese forms in step (c).
