The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers, has completed outreach to all 79 freshman offices in both the House and Senate (including two new non-voting delegates), reinforcing CRN’s commitment to early engagement with new policymakers and laying the groundwork for the association’s 2025 Day on the Hill, taking place in June.
“Building relationships with new members of Congress is essential to ensuring lawmakers understand the value our industry delivers to both public health and the U.S. economy,” said Steve Mister, CRN President & CEO. “These meetings and briefings allow us to introduce CRN’s mission, discuss responsible industry practices, and ensure that policymakers are prepared to engage meaningfully when supplement issues arise during their tenure.”
Informing Policy with Science, Economics, and Consumer Confidence
As part of the outreach, CRN provided each freshman office with a package of materials designed to introduce key aspects of the industry:
Supplements to Savings: A data-driven analysis showing how the responsible use of supplements can prevent costly medical events and potentially save billions in healthcare expenditures.
Who We Are: An overview of CRN’s member companies, all of whom comply with extensive federal and state regulations and adhere to CRN’s additional voluntary guidelines and Code of Ethics.
Dietary Supplements - Safe, Regulated and Beneficial: A fact sheet outlining the comprehensive regulatory oversight of the supplement industry, which is governed by the FDA and FTC under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
District-Specific Economic Impact Reports: a highlight of the industry’s direct and indirect contributions to local economies—including jobs, wages, and tax revenue.
A Foundation for 2025 Advocacy
The freshman outreach initiative is a strategic precursor to CRN’s Day on the Hill, scheduled for June 11, where CRN member executives and professionals will meet in Washington, D.C., to discuss the industry’s public policy priorities directly with lawmakers. These include expanding consumer access to nutritional products through HSAs and FSAs, modernizing federal supplement regulations, and supporting mandatory product listing (MPL).
“Our proactive approach ensures that when members of Congress consider policies impacting dietary supplements, they are equipped with accurate information, scientific data, and a clear understanding of the industry’s positive impact on health and the economy,” Mister added.
“Educating freshman members early in their terms is key to successful long-term advocacy,” said Julia Gustafson, CRN’s Vice President of Government Relations. “These first interactions provide us the opportunity to explain the robust regulatory framework our industry already operates within and to highlight the economic and health benefits dietary supplements deliver to their constituents.”
CRN’s 2025 Day on the Hill—scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.—will provide CRN members with a premier opportunity to meet directly with Members of Congress and key Congressional staff to discuss policy priorities critical to the dietary supplement and functional food industry. With growing interest among lawmakers in health and wellness, the event will spotlight the industry’s role in supporting consumer access to safe, beneficial, and science-backed nutrition products. CRN members will advocate for affordable and accessible supplements, policies that promote regulatory clarity and responsible innovation, and a modernized framework that protects public health while encouraging growth. The event will also emphasize the industry’s economic contributions and the potential healthcare cost savings achievable through responsible supplementation.
About the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 180 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. Follow us on X @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.