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Ensure Original nutrition shake
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Beverages

Ensure Original nutrition shake

8 oz

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Not permitted in some countries
  • Contains synthetic dyes
  • Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains artificial flavors
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Why it scores 21

Ensure Original nutrition shake scores 21 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Red 3: The FDA revoked its authorization for food in January 2025 under the Delaney Clause because high doses produced tumors in male rats; the FDA says there is no evidence of this effect in humans. Regulatory
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated): No NOVA group on file; estimated from 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better protein shakes

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Ensure Original nutrition shake

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Red 3
    Regulatory The FDA revoked its authorization for food in January 2025 under the Delaney Clause because high doses produced tumors in male rats; the FDA says there is no evidence of this effect in humans. [4][5][6][7]
  • Cellulose gum (carboxymethylcellulose)
    Strong In a small randomized feeding trial, carboxymethylcellulose modestly increased abdominal discomfort and reduced gut microbiota diversity; in mice it promoted low-grade inflammation. [8][9][10][11]
  • Carrageenan
    Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher carrageenan intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; cause and effect is not established. [12][9][13][14]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated)
    Strong No NOVA group on file; estimated from 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers. [15]
  • 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, non-nutritive sweetener and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [15]
subtotal−26

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 6.3 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some sugar. [1]
subtotal−3
TOTAL 21Poor

100 − 79 = 21

Can’t score above 25. Contains Red 3, whose use in food has been revoked in the US. [4]

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

GTIN 00070074407050 · 2026-07-22

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy93 kcal
Fat2.5 g
Saturated fat0.4 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates13.5 g
Sugars6.3 g
Added sugars3.8 g
Fiber0.4 g
Protein3.8 g
Salt0.2 g

Serving: 237 ml

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

WATER, CORN, MALTODEXTRIN, SUGAR, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, BLEND OF VEGETABLE OILS (CANOLA, CORN), SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, NONFAT MILK; LESS THAN 0.5% OF: VITAMINS AND MINERALS+, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CELLULOSE GEL, SALT, CELLULOSE GUM, SOY LECITHIN, MONOGLYCERIDES, CARRAGEENAN, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCRALOSE, AND RED 3. +VITAMINS AND MINERALS: POTASSIUM CITRATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM CITRATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, ASCORBIC ACID, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, FERROUS SULFATE, DL-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ZINC SULFATE, NIACINAMIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, COPPER SULFATE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, SODIUM SELENATE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, PHYLLOQUINONE, BIOTIN, VITAMIN D3, VITAMIN B12.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy

  • Not vegan
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Packaging

Pp 5 polypropylene

Context only: no points in v1.

More from Ensure

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. Color Additive Petition From Center for Science in the Public Interest, et al.; Request To Revoke Color Additive Listing for Use of FD&C Red No. 3 in Food and Ingested Drugs (90 FR 4628)

    Federal Register (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) · Jan 16, 2025 · Law

    “This order is effective January 15, 2027, except for amendatory instruction 4, which is effective January 18, 2028.”

    federalregister.gov

  5. FD&C Red No. 3

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Jan 15, 2025 · Regulator

    “Studies in other animals or in humans did not show the same effect and there is no evidence showing FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in humans.”

    fda.gov

  6. Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 of 11 November 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 by establishing a Union list of food additives

    European Union (Official Journal) · Nov 11, 2011 · Law

    “E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  7. California AB 418 (2023), the California Food Safety Act (Health and Safety Code §109025)

    California Legislative Information · Oct 7, 2023 · Law

    “Commencing January 1, 2027, a person or entity shall not manufacture, sell, deliver, distribute, hold, or offer for sale, in commerce a food product for human consumption that contains any of the following substances”

    leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

  8. Randomized Controlled-Feeding Study of Dietary Emulsifier Carboxymethylcellulose Reveals Detrimental Impacts on the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

    Gastroenterology · March 2022 · Peer-reviewed

    “Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”

    doi.org

  9. Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome

    Nature · Mar 5, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    “carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”

    doi.org

  10. Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study

    BMJ · Sep 6, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”

    doi.org

  11. Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461, E 462, E 463, E 464, E 465, E 466, E 468 and E 469 as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Jan 16, 2018 · Agency assessment

    “The Panel concluded that there was no need for a numerical ADI and that there would be no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels for the unmodified and modified celluloses”

    doi.org

  12. Food additive emulsifiers and the risk of type 2 diabetes: analysis of data from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study

    The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · May 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”

    doi.org

  13. Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Apr 26, 2018 · Agency assessment

    “However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”

    doi.org

  14. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  15. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  16. Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63 of 14 January 2022 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 as regards the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171)

    European Union (Official Journal) · Jan 14, 2022 · Law

    “titanium dioxide (E 171) can no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive.”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  17. Revocation of Authorization for Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food (89 FR 55040)

    Federal Register (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) · Jul 3, 2024 · Law

    “This action is being taken because there is no longer a reasonable certainty of no harm from the continued use of BVO in food.”

    federalregister.gov

  18. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products

    European Union (Official Journal) · Nov 30, 2009 · Law

    “cosmetic products shall not contain any of the following: (a) prohibited substances — prohibited substances listed in Annex II”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  19. Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Regulator

    “FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—by the end of 2027.”

    fda.gov

  20. HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply (press release)

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Apr 22, 2025 · Regulator

    “Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.”

    fda.gov

  21. California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition

    California Legislative Information · Sep 28, 2024 · Law

    “beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”

    leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

  22. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline

    World Health Organization · May 15, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”

    who.int

  23. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”

    doi.org

  24. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  25. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org