Activity Description: In 1999, Unilever Africa Regional Group created a separate business unit called Popular Foods to target mass-market consumers with nutritious foods at affordable prices. One of their first products was Annapurna, a refined iodised salt sold in small sachets to help preserve the iodine - a product originally developed for the Indian market by Hindustan Lever. The salt has important health benefits for those who suffer from Iodine Deficiency Disorder, which can cause retardation, brain damage, and, in pregnancy, stillbirths and congenital abnormalities. In conjuction with non-commercial actors, Unilever also sponsors a project to educate rural populations about the health benefits of idodized salt.