JUNE 2018 UPDATE
CALL TO ACTION: Good nutrition is not a luxury. Tell your senator to allow multivitamins to be purchased with SNAP benefits.
Washington, D.C., September 27, 2017—In response to the introduction of HR 3841, the SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 2017, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, today issued the following statement:
Statement from Mike Greene, senior vice president, government relations, CRN:
“CRN commends Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) and original cosponsors Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Mia Love (R-UT), and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) for introducing HR 3841, the SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act, which allows for the inclusion of a multivitamin under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The introduction of this bill ensures that Americans of all socioeconomic statuses have the ability to add a multivitamin to their everyday routines to help them meet their basic nutritional needs. Studies show that low-income Americans are more likely to have insufficient and nutritionally inadequate diets. Research also demonstrates that Americans are falling short in a number of essential nutrients. Allowing SNAP recipients to purchase a multivitamin with program benefits empowers them with an additional choice for themselves and their families, and makes achieving proper nutrition a right, not a luxury.
Multivitamins are intended as supplements to a healthy diet and should not be viewed as a replacement for trying to achieve a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet.
CRN will continue its efforts to help this bill gain momentum within Congress and attain increased support from both sides of the aisle.”
Note to Editor: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 150+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.