Ensure Original nutrition shake

by Ensure

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Ensure Original nutrition shake by Ensure receives a safety score of 95/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0070074671093
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Ensure Original nutrition shake by Ensure carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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 1 flagged ingredient 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 Original 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 Original nutrition shake
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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
Corn Maltodextrin
3
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
4
Milk Protein Concentrate
5
Canola Oil
6
Corn Oil
7
Soy Protein Isolate
8
Refined High Oleic Sunflower Oil
9
Soy Lecithin
10
Natural And Artificial Flavor
11
Magnesium Phosphate
12
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
13
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
14
Calcium Phosphate
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Choline Chloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
17
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
18
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
19
Cellulose Gel
20
Cellulose Gum
21
Sodium Citrate
22
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
23
Dl-alpha-tocopheryl Acetate
24
Zinc Sulfate
MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
25
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
26
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Manganese Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Copper Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
29
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
30
Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride
31
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
32
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
33
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
34
Biotin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
35
Chromium Chloride
36
Sodium Molybdate
37
Sodium Selenate
38
Phylloquinone
39
Vitamin D3
40
Cyanocobalamin
41
Potassium Iodide
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, TRACER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

water, corn maltodextrin, sugar, milk protein concentrate, canola oil, corn oil, soy protein isolate, high oleic sunflower oil, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, magnesium phosphate, potassium citrate, sodium ascorbate, calcium phosphate, salt, choline chloride, potassium chloride, carrageenan, cellulose gel, cellulose gum, sodium citrate, ferrous sulfate, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, zinc sulfate, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin a palmitate, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, chromium chloride, sodium molybdate, sodium selenate, phylloquinone, vitamin d3, cyanocobalamin, potassium iodide

Categories

Dietary 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