Independent laboratory finding
Ensure Plus (Abbott): Citizens Protein Project 1 finding (2024)
Last checked 19 September 2026. A few details are still being checked against the original document.
The Citizens Protein Project 1 (April 2024) reported a severe shortfall between labelled and measured protein in Abbott's Ensure Plus; no FSSAI action on the product is on record as of 19 Sep 2026.
- Classification
- Independent lab test finding: Lab-flagged (independent test)
- Tested by
- No regulator action; independent test result (Citizens Protein Project 1, published study)
- Reference
- Citizens Protein Project 1, Medicine, April 2024 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000037724)
- Latest action
- 1 April 2024
- Last checked
- 19 September 2026details being verified
Abbott Laboratories logo (PD-textlogo); Abbott makes Ensure. Photo: Abbott Laboratories logo.svg by Abbott Laboratories (Public domain). Brand names and logos belong to their owners and are used here to identify the product this entry is about. All photo credits.
70% of 36 popular protein supplements sold in India mislabeled, 14 contain toxins, says new study
No regulator has acted on this finding. It comes from a published study or a private testing company, and the brand may dispute it.
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe explain what the test or study found. No regulator has acted on it.
Key facts
- Brand
- Abbott Nutrition
- Study
- Citizens Protein Project 1 to 36 products, published April 2024
- Finding
- Severe protein shortfall against label (figures:, being verified
- Also tested in CPP2 (2025)
- Ensure Normal, High Protein and Diabetes Care variants, undeclared sugars and taurine; no heavy metals or aflatoxin
- Regulator action
- None on record
Ensure Plus, Abbott's adult nutrition powder, was reported by the Citizens Protein Project 1 to contain substantially less protein than its label declared; the study grouped it among products with a severe shortfall. The precise measured and claimed figures are to be quoted from the paper. Abbott's Ensure range was tested again in the project's second round in November 2025 under three variant names, where protein was closer to label but undeclared sucrose or fructose and high taurine were reported; those results have their own pages. No FSSAI action on Ensure Plus is on record and no Abbott response has been located.
What this means for you
A study result, not a regulatory finding
FSSAI has taken no action on this product on the basis of the study. The finding describes the sample the researchers bought.
If you use it, ask for the batch certificate
Manufacturers hold certificates of analysis per batch. NABL-accredited laboratories will also test a tub for protein and contaminants.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Official sources and primary records
- The Citizens Protein Project: a self-funded, transparent, and concerned-citizen-driven study of protein supplements sold in India (Apr 2024)StudyMedicine (Wolters Kluwer)
- 70% of 36 popular protein supplements sold in India mislabeled, 14 contain toxins, says new studyNewsThePrint
- Citizens Protein Project results threadStudyThread Reader (X thread)