Is Ensure High Protein nutrition shake ultra-processed?

Protein shakes Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin
E418 Gellan gum
E950 Acesulfame k

48 ingredients
2 additives

Less processed protein shakes

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

vitamin 60%, vitamin c 50% vitamin e 50% vitamink biotin 40% riboflavin 40% niacin 40% vitamin b12 sing folic acid) od 40% phosphorus 25%, lodine 30% selenium 25% copper 25% manganese mm 25% molybdenum 25% chloride 10% choline daily value (dv), tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to eente water milk protein concentrate, corn maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), sugar (processing marker), soy protein isolate ch 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice, tl5% of vitamins, minerals, natural and artificial flavor (ultra-processing marker), cellulose gel, salt carre ellise gum, gellan gum (ultra-processing marker), acesulfame potassium (ultra-processing marker), and sucralose, minerals (magnesium phosphate), calcium carbonate, potassium citrate, sodintre un ascorbate, choline chloride, calcium phosphate, ferrous sulfate, d-alpha-tocopher cere, inc sulfate, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, scan here for dane hydrochloride, thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, potassium information line copper sulfate, vitamin a palmitate, folic acid, potassium iodide (processing marker), 1-866-90, roman chloride, sodium selenate, sodium molybdate, phylloquinone, biotin, thing, witamin b ans milk and soy ingredients, brot nutrition, abbott laboratories, columbus, ohio 43219-3034 usa

Additives: E418 Gellan gum , E950 Acesulfame k

As written on the pack

60% vitamin & 25% vitamin c 50% vitamin e 50% vitamink biotin 40% riboflavin 40% niacin 40% vitamin b12 sing folic acid) od 40% phosphorus 25% • lodine 30% selenium 25% copper 25% manganese mm 25% molybdenum 25% chloride 10% choline daily value (dv) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to eente water milk protein concentrate, corn maltodextrin, sugar, soy protein isolate ch 2000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. tl5% of vitamins and minerals, natural and artificial flavor, cellulose gel, salt carre ellise gum, gellan gum, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose and minerals: magnesium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium citrate, sodintre un ascorbate, choline chloride, calcium phosphate, ferrous sulfate, d-alpha-tocopher cere, inc sulfate, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, scan here for dane hydrochloride, thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, potassium information line copper sulfate, vitamin a palmitate, folic acid, potassium iodide, 1-866-90 - roman chloride, sodium selenate, sodium molybdate, phylloquinone, biotin, thing, witamin b ans milk and soy ingredients. brot nutrition, abbott laboratories, columbus, ohio 43219-3034 usa

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E418 Gellan gum Stabilisers are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff, substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff and substances which increase the binding capacity of the food, including the formation of cross-links between proteins enabling the binding of food pieces into re-constituted food.
E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.

2 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 158 protein shakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 40th. 97% of the protein shakes here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 158 protein shakes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0070074641188, last edited 22 July 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.