Washington, D.C.—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)released a statementapplauding senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Mike Rogers (R-AL) for introducing TheSNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 2019in the Senate and House on June 5.
The bill, if passed, would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to make multivitamin-mineral supplements eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits, the statement says. The Act is supported by research noting that low-income Americans commonly eat nutritionally inadequate diets, and that a multivitamin can bridge that gap.
CRN has been fighting for The SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act for months: It was in the original Farm Bill, but wasremoved in Julyby the Senate, andnever made it back into the bill.
Mike Greene, SVP of government relations at CRN, said in the release: “CRN thanks Senators Scott and Sinema and Representatives Cárdenas and Rogers for their commitment and leadership in support of this common sense legislation. Americans are not getting enough nutrients from food alone, and a multivitamin, in combination with a balanced diet, can fill nutrient gaps. The facts have always been there, but the law has not. With today’s introduction of The SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act, there is a glimmer of hope that we will be able to finally empower low-income consumers with a choice for better nutrition.”
