Ensure: High Protein nutrition shake

by Abbott

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Ensure: High Protein nutrition shake by Abbott receives a safety score of 80/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0070074641164
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Ensure: High Protein nutrition shake by Abbott carries a composite safety score of 80/100, which we classify as "Caution" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 2 flagged ingredients in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Ensure: High Protein nutrition shake is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Ensure: High Protein nutrition shake
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 80/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Milk Protein Concentrate
3
Corn Maltodextrin
4
Soy Protein Isolate
5
Canola Oil
6
Cocoa Powder
7
Calcium Caseinate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Approved
8
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
9
Magnesium Phosphate
10
Cellulose Gel
11
Cellulose Gum
12
Soy Lecithin
13
Mono And Diglycerides
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
16
Cholecalciferol
17
Vitamin D3
18
Vitamin E Acetate
19
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
20
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
21
Zinc Sulfate
MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
22
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
23
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
24
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
25
Copper Gluconate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SYNERGIST
GRAS
26
Manganese Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Thiamine Hydrochloride
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
30
Chromium Chloride
31
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
32
Biotin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
33
Potassium Iodide
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, TRACER
GRAS
34
Sodium Molybdate
35
Sodium Selenite
36
Phylloquinone
37
Vitamin K1
38
Cyanocobalamin
39
Vitamin B12

Full Ingredient List

WATER, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CORN MALTODEXTRIN, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CANOLA OIL, COCOA POWDER (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), CALCIUM CASEINATE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CELLULOSE GEL, CELLULOSE GUM, SOY LECITHIN, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT, CARRAGEENAN, CHOLECALCIFEROL (VITAMIN D3), VITAMIN E ACETATE, ASCORBIC ACID, SUCRALOSE, ZINC SULFATE, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, COPPER GLUCONATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, SODIUM SELENITE, PHYLLOQUINONE (VITAMIN K1), CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12).

Categories

Dietary supplements Bodybuilding supplements

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial