FARE and the National Peanut Board Announce a $2.5 Million Investment Over Five Years to Advance Food Allergy Research

Funding supports Mind Meld, FARE's research initiative designed to accelerate a cure for food allergy

McLEAN, Va., Feb. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), the leading charity that supports the food allergy community through advocacy, research, and education, today announced a $2.5 million investment from the National Peanut Board (NPB) in support of FARE's ongoing work to accelerate a cure for food allergy.

The funding will support FARE's Mind Meld initiative, a proven, collaborative research model designed to accelerate progress against disease. This approach was developed during the tenure of FARE CEO Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, in her prior role leading Stand Up To Cancer for more than a decade. Its application in food allergy aims to accelerate the translation of research from bench to bedside for the benefit of patients. 

"Food allergy is a serious, life-threatening disease of the immune system that impacts more than 33 million people in the United States," said Dr. Poblete. "By bringing together the leading scientists in immunology, Mind Meld is designed to identify pathways to retrain the immune system, so it no longer attacks food proteins and carbohydrates, recognizing them for what they are. In many ways, this work builds on and reverse engineers advances made in cancer research, and we believe it will lead to a cure for food allergy."

The National Peanut Board's investment builds on a long-standing commitment to addressing peanut allergy. Over the past two decades, NPB has invested more than $43 million in research and education related to eradicating peanut allergy. This new investment supports a larger collaborative approach intended to accelerate progress toward a cure.

"We have already seen the impact we can have on big breakthroughs such as evidence-based Early Introduction practices," said Ryan Lepicier, president and CEO of National Peanut Board. "Now we see an opportunity to advance the level of breakthroughs in food allergy, joining a larger collaborative model with FARE's Mind Meld initiative, we hope that other commodity organizations and partners across the food system will share this vision and join us in advancing this important work."

FARE expects to release a request for proposals (RFP) later this year to support the next phase of research funded through this initiative.

About the National Peanut Board
The National Peanut Board represents USA peanut farmers and their families. Through research and marketing initiatives the Board is finding new ways to enhance production and increase consumer demand by promoting the great taste, nutrition and culinary versatility of USA-grown peanuts. For more information about the Board, visit www.nationalpeanutboard.org.

About FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education)
FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is the leading nonprofit organization that empowers the food allergy patient across the journey of managing their disease. FARE delivers innovation by focusing on three strategic pillars—research, education, and advocacy. FARE's initiatives strive for a future free from food allergy through effective policies and legislation, novel strategies toward prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and building awareness and community. To learn more, visit FoodAllergy.org.

SOURCE FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education)