Houston County farmer Fred Helms has been growing peanuts 43 years. He said nothing is more important than growing a safe, delicious, nutritious product people enjoy. That’s why he and other farmers support research to address food allergies. 

“America’s peanut farmers, through the National Peanut Board (NPB), have contributed more than $25.3 million for food allergy research, education and outreach since 2001,” said Helms, an Alabama Peanut Producers Association board member. “Research has proven when peanuts are introduced to infants early, they’re less likely to develop a peanut allergy.”

For Helms, the research has special meaning since his daughter and son-in-law, Dusty and Charles McKinley, welcomed a new baby boy to the family.

To celebrate, McKinley and her son, Helms, received a basket of early introduction peanut products. NPB Ambassador George Jeffcoat, a Houston County peanut farmer, and Mary Helms of the Houston County Farmers Federation Women’s Leadership Committee made the presentation.

“The new guidelines from the National Institutes of Health encourage introducing peanut foods to infants as early as 4 to 6 months old to help prevent a potential peanut allergy,” Jeffcoat said.

A 2015 study also led to new guidelines from the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Disease.

Visit PreventPeanutAllergies.com to learn more.