September 29, 2000, Plains, GA -- Peanut consumption is on the rise and the people of Plains, GA are celebrating. Snack peanut consumption is the highest it's been in over a decade according to the USDA Stocks and Processing Report. With the help of President and Mrs. Carter, the Plains Peanut Festival celebrated the comeback of an ancient food, the peanut, as a super food for the new millennium.

People are snacking on peanuts more than ever before. One reason is because of all of the good research news they are hearing about peanuts. At the Festival's luncheon address, President Carter acknowledged the research coming out of some of the nation's top universities. He remarked that, "We are now learning more about the extremely valuable aspects of peanuts. They contain zero cholesterol and are highly nutritious. Even for people that are losing weight, eating peanuts can help them to control their diet. In addition, eating peanuts can prevent heart disease. These are the kinds of things that people have never known before about peanuts."

A newly released study in the International Journal of Obesity shows that snacking on peanuts and peanut butter can control hunger without leading to weight gain. Rick Mattes, PhD, RD, Professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University, who conducted the study, says, "Peanuts are a high fat food but they have other components in them that help curb appetites. Our study shows that when people eat peanuts, they tend to eat less at other times of the day, so the total energy intake is not higher."

The study shows that peanuts and peanut butter satisfy hunger for more than two hours longer than some other snacks. Eating peanuts also helps you achieve a better fatty acid profile in your daily diet. That's because almost all of the fat in peanuts is the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind. This research supports previous studies showing that frequently eating small amounts of peanuts and peanut butter can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 50%.

Murray Campbell, Chairman of the National Peanut Board said, "We want to spread the good nutrition news about peanuts and peanut butter across America. Peanuts not only taste great, but we now know they're good for you too, and that's something to celebrate."

And celebrate they did, at the Plains Peanut Festival 2000, in Plains, GA. The festival featured the first annual Plains Peanut Festival Recipe Contest, the Peanut Pavilion, a Folk Play by the town of Plains, and a parade with Planters Peanut Company's Mr. Peanut himself as Grand Marshall.

John Powell, President of The Peanut Institute said, "We're delighted that the National Peanut Board and The Planters Company have joined with The Peanut Institute, President and Mrs. Carter, and the citizens of Plains, GA, to make the Plains Peanut Festival such a success."

The recipe contest attracted hundreds of recipes from 31 different states. The top recipes were prepared by professional chefs and then judged by food editors and writers. Ms. Brooks of Byron, Georgia, who submitted a recipe for Georgia Gold Peanuts was the overall grand prize winner of the recipe contest. Ms. Byron received $350 plus a case of Planters products. Former President and Mrs. Carter took part in the first annual Plains Peanut Festival Recipe Contest by submitting two famous recipes: President Jimmy Carter's Recipe for Roasting Peanuts in a Microwave and First Lady Rosalynn Carter's Recipe for Peanut Brittle.

The National Peanut Board is a newly formed promotional board representing US peanut producers. The Planters Company is the largest snack nut company in the United States. The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles.

Photographs, video footage and recipes can be found on The Peanut Institute web site at www.peanut-institute.org or pmkassociates@pmkassociates.com.