US families could use SNAP benefits for purchasing certain multivitamins if amendment gets passed

07 Jun 2019 --- Low- and no-income families in the US, benefitting from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), may be eligible for subsidized purchases of multivitamin-mineral supplements with SNAP benefits, if corresponding amendments are made to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. The introduction of the SNAP Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 2019 in the US Senate and House of Representatives earlier this week was applauded by D.C.-based trade association and lobbying group Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). It argues the bill is needed because “Americans are not getting enough nutrients from food alone.” 

The trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry has been lobbying for such a bill for some time. Many believe it will “bridge nutrient gaps in low-income populations through greater access to dietary supplements.”

“A multivitamin, in combination with a balanced diet, can fill nutrient gaps,” says Mike Greene, Senior Vice President, Government Relations at CRN. “The facts have always been there, but the law has not. With the 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.”

Also supporting the bill is research that underscores insufficient and nutritionally inadequate diets occurring more commonly among low-income populations. The multivitamin, however, is a safe and affordable way to obtain adequate levels of essential nutrients.

As a federal aid program, SNAP is administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), under the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). At the beginning of the Trump Administration, there were fears that SNAP faced funding cuts as some Republicans, including the President, discussed the possibility of removing the program from USDA control. 

However, this didn’t materialize and the SNAP program – which provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency – now looks likely to take in certain multivitamins. 

The food stamps program was also impacted during the US government shutdown that dragged on for 35 days from December 22, 2018, until January 25, 2019, and was the longest US government shutdown in history. Various government departments felt the squeeze and the longer the shutdown went on, the greater fears became that SNAP could run out of money. 

New research last month also argues that US policymakers should consider new ways to make SNAP reductions less abrupt for working families with young children who experienced a reduction or cut off in SNAP benefits, due to increased income. 

What can SNAP currently buy?
According to the agency-run website, the following is currently available under SNAP: 

• Fruits and vegetables.
• Meat, poultry and fish.
• Dairy products.
• Breads and cereals.
• Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat.

Households currently cannot use SNAP benefits to buy:

• Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
• Vitamins, medicines and supplements (If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase).
• Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
• Prepared foods fit for immediate consumption.
• Hot foods.
• Any nonfood items such as pet foods. 
• Cleaning supplies, paper products and other household supplies.
• Hygiene items and cosmetics.

However, with regards to vitamins at least, this could soon be changing. 

This is not the first time eligibility for multivitamins under SNAP has been at the center of debate. Last December, the Farm Bill 2018 dropped a provision that would have allowed vitamins and minerals supplement purchase under SNAP. The text was changed and the 2018 farm bill or Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 was passed after several rewrites. 

By Gaynor Selby