STUDYING THE OPPORTUNITY AND FEASIBILITY OF CATEGORY

DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PRIMARY RESEARCH AND DIRECT

ENGAGEMENT WITH END CUSTOMER

SUMMER INTERNSHIP REPORT

Submitted to
PURO WELLNESS PVT LTD
For the partial fulfillment of the award of the degree

BACHLEORS OF BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION

BY

GOPI CHANDU. KEERTHI

1
 ABSTRACT

This paper presents a study conducted to identify the opportunity and feasibility of category
development through primary research and direct engagement with end customer to identify the
market research on the proposed product, its implication on human consumption and about the
products origin. It also presents the role of consumer buying behavior, the factors affecting impulse
buying and consumer buying decision process. The purpose of identifying the opportunity and
feasibility of category development through primary research and direct engagement with end
customer is to attract, engage and motivate the customer towards making a purchase, where it
creates an impact on the consume buying behavior and focuses on the health standards as well as
that of the product having health benefits for the health safety of every individual concerned. In
this study, we first identify the opportunity and feasibility of category
development through primary research i.e. looking at the concerned product“ Puro Healthy Salt”
from all angles and views and also studying about the health benefits of the product, its source of
nature, its purity, and the differences between“ Puro Healthy Salt” vs “Regular Iodized Salt”. Not
only that we also look at how ‘Puro’ pioneering Human clean technology is used at various levels
to ensuring the health and safety of the product.

Direct engagement with end customer has a positive impact towards consumer buying behavior.
It is believed that the marketing research and sales strategy influence the buyers to attract, engage
or motivate themselves to experience the merchandise assortments. From the study, it was found
that sales displays, posters, pamphlets and stalls set up for free sampling distributions and direct
customer interactions were the highly influencing elements and also shelf display, lighting, use of
banners and creative displays and short advertisement also had a great influence over consumer
buying behavior with regard to the product.

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 Executive Summary

Puro Wellness Pvt Ltd provides food ingredients to customers in India. It offers salts, brown and white
rice, sugar substitutes, and spices. A “full spectrum” salt that is one of the purest salts in the world with
over 80 minerals including naturally occurring iodine. Puro Healthy Salt is one of the healthier salt and
has ideal balance of sodium-potassium which helps regulate blood pressure. Puro Healthy salt was
introduced in the market to eradicate the white salt which customers are consuming. Their vision was
to see majority of the Indians free from chronic diseases. Later in the Report I am going to highlight
the Characteristics, Benefits, Problems, Data collected, Analysis of the finding of the data, Leanings
and Recommendations.

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 INTRODUCTION TO PURO WELLNESS PVT LTD

Company Overview

Puro Wellness Pvt Ltd provides food ingredients to customers in India. It offers salts, brown and white
rice, sugar substitutes, and spices. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Mumbai, Puro
Wellness Pvt Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Torrent Private Limited.

Introduction to Puro

Puro” is India's first "Healthy Salt" for daily use. According to the study it is 100% Natural, it
has no chemicals, no additives and is unrefined. It is good for the heart and Digestion. It has over
80+minerals naturally present including Potassium, Iodine, Iron and Calcium. Puro is recognized
by Government of India under the start-up India initiative.

The 4 Mantras of the Puro Healthy Salt are as follows:-

ANCIENT WISDOM–‘Charaka Samhita’, also known as the most authentic Ayurveda

literature, recommends this pink salt for its several benefits including improving digestion, eye
sight & overall well-being.

HEALTH- Recommended by doctors and nutritionists, this mineral-rich salt is among the
healthiest salts in the world. This is because of its low sodium content, unique mineral
composition and a PH level greater than 7 which prevent the acidic refluxing our body.

TASTE-Top chefs worldwide recommend this tasty salt for enhancing the flavour in food.
Puro healthy salt is also well-known as a gourmet salt because of its earthy and lasting taste that
makes every bite delicious.

PURITY-This all-natural salt is sourced from pristine.

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Learn Everything about Puro
Learn Everything about Puro is an exclusive program designed for talented young minds who
have the potential and the ability to grow the category of healthy salt.

LEAP provides one of its kind opportunities to work with the best. Not only is the program designed
to provide a learning journey of a lifetime but optimum measurable standards provide young minds to
benchmark the sky for performance thus ensuring a fair and transparent rewards philosophy.

Origin of Puro
• Torrent pharma, a leader in the pharma industry in India is engaged in curative segment for
over a period of 6 decades.

• Puro is the brainchild of Mr. Ruchir Modi an Ex-executive director of Torrent pharma group.

From the thought of fighting the diseases from the preventive stages, Puro was established in the
preventive care segment to provided food solutions.

VISION
“125 CRORES HEALTHY INDIANS WITH NO BURDEN OF CHRONIC DISEASES”

MISSION
“AN EFFORTLESS CHANGE WITH FOOD SOLUTION WHICH ARE PURE, SIMPLE, TASTY AND HEALTHY”

PILLARS OF PURO

i) PURITY GUARANTEED
At Puro, we believe in utmost transparency.

As India’s First Clean Label Company, we are committed creating food solutions that are simple, pure,
tasty and healthy. A Puro product is bereft of artificial flavorings, colorings, additives and
preservatives.

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ii) STRAIGHT FROM NATURE
We found inspiration in the rhythm of nature and in the wisdom of generations.

With our guarantee of purity, our products offer the perfect solution combining Indian traditions with
nature’s best.

iii) SAFE FOR ALL

Puro aims at preventing diseases by providing natural ingredients.

Our products seamlessly fit into your lifestyles and can be consumed by children, pregnant women,
diabetics. We want to embrace you to a world of Puro.

iv) REDUCE THE RISK OF DISEASES

Puro aims at removing, then preventive chronic diseases in people through their diet.

Our products helps reduce the risk of the three easily preventable dreaded chronic diseases—blood
pressure, diabetes and cancer.

v) RESPECT FOR TRADITION

We believe in ancient wisdom and your grandmother’s recipes, so you needn’t alter your food habits.

Deriving our essence from ancient Ayurvedic texts such as the Charka Samhita, our product offerings
are a perfect amalgamation of ageless wisdom and scientific research.

Puro Healthy Salt or ‘soma lavana’ as it was known in ancient times has found mention in the Charka
Samhita, the age-old Sanskrit text which forms the basis of Ayurveda.

vi) A STRESS-FREE SOLUTION

You don’t need to worry about the amount of food you eat with our products. Puro products provide a
stress-free solution without the need to portion control on food.

vii) IN FOR THE LONG-HAUL

Puro products promise good health and are not the short-term food fad. We offer long-term tasty
alternatives in your daily diet.

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viii) SMALL CHANGE, BIG DIFFERENCE
For shifting to a healthy diet, you don’t need to change your food preferences. Just change your basic
ingredients and it will make a big difference in your health without changing your taste preferences .

viii) PROMISE OF GREAT TASTE

Our products do not compromise when it comes to delivering taste. The proof lies in our taste test.

Puro Healthy Salt stands apart owing to its beautiful, natural and chemical-free taste. So making the
switch not only guarantees good health, but also elevates your meal into a gourmet delight!

History of Puro
Puro Wellness Private Limited is a Private incorporated on 04 July 2016. It is classified as Non-govt
Company and is registered at Registrar of Companies, Ahmedabad. Its authorized share capital is Rs.
500,000,000 and its paid up capital is Rs. 120,100,000.It is involved in Business activities n.e.c.

Puro Wellness Private Limited's Annual General Meeting (AGM) was last held on N/A and as per
records from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), its balance sheet was last filed on N/A.

Directors of Puro Wellness Private Limited are Renny Ruchir Modi, Ruchir Dinesh Chandra Modi and
Dinesh Chandra Modi.

Introduction of Puro Healthy Salt

A “full spectrum” salt that is one of the purest salts in the world with over 80 minerals including
naturally occurring iodine.

Puro Healthy Salt is one of the healthier salt and has ideal balance of sodium-potassium which helps
regulate blood pressure. It is unprocessed and served as our nature offered. It does not contain any
additives and is naturally moisture resistant. It has the natural free flow without the need of anti-caking
agents.

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 Characteristics of Puro Healthy Salt
• 80+ minerals that are essential for your body.

• 20% lesser sodium content along with potassium – promotes healthy heart.

• Mineral content is easily soluble providing to of health benefits.

• Rich orange, pink and reddish hue colour due to minerals like potassium, iron etc.

• No chemical additives and good for health in the long run.

BENEFITS
In the same manner that vitamins and minerals are perfectly packaged in fruits and vegetables,
because this salt was formed naturally, the minerals within the sodium working synergy. (Synergy
is the interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce an effect different from or greater
than the sum of their individual effects.)
Iodine- Natural salts are rich in iodine, so it doesn’t need to be artificially added in. Less sodium
consumed preserving- It is made of the same components as table salt but since the crystal structure
is larger than refined salt, and by volume- this salt therefore has less sodium per 1/4t.serving-
because the sea salt crystals or flakes take up less.

- Regulates blood pressure and hypertension

- Strengthens bones

- Improves digestion

- Reduces bloating

- Aids weight loss

- Aids hydration and glow

- Builds your bones

- Prevent Goiter

- Improve Circulation

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Why Table Salt is Inferior?

Commercial refined salt is not only stripped of all its minerals, besides sodium and chloride, but
is also chemically cleaned, bleached and heated at unnecessary high temperatures. In addition, it
is treated with anti-caking agents who prevent salt from mixing with water in the salt container.
These agents also prevent dissolving within our system leading to build up and then deposit in
organs and tissue, causing severe health problems.
Finally, the iodine that is added into salt is usually synthetic which is difficult for your body to
process properly. Shockingly under U.S. law, upto 2% of table salt can be additives.

A large body of literature shows that high salt intake increases the risk of hypertension, skills-
how to carry out certain tasks. For example, how to choose a lower salt product by comparing
food label information and how to reduce the amount of salt used in the cooking by using herbs
and spice.

Difference between Pink Salt and Regular Table Salt

Table salt differs from naturally occurring salt because all of its minerals. Manufacturers strip
our natural potassium during the refining process. This is damaging to health because it
interferes with your body’s natural sodium and potassium balance.

For instance, sodium and potassium work together in a specific ratio to regulate blood pressure.
But when sodium levels are too high, they interfere with blood pressure levels being balanced—
resulting in hypertension. As you can guess, this isn’t a concern with unrefined salt because it
still contains potassium.

When manufacturers chemically process and bleach table salt, they add other downsides. This
kind of salt may typically contain added chemicals, such as ammonia or aluminum that are

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harmful to our health. Aluminum is toxic to the body and has been linked to neurodegenerative
disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.

Therefore, the negative effects of isolating sodium chloride in processed salt give it a bad
reputation. Additionally, it’s easy to overwhelm our bodies with processed salt by eating refined
foods at every meal.

But when we remove processed foods from our diet and receive unrefined salt from natural
sources, it’s actually good for us. Fruits, vegetables, seaweed, salt water, and salt from the
Himalayan rock salt mines, are all examples of natural salt sources. In fact, our bodies depend on
it for survival.

Problems Faced By Puro Healthy Salt

- High pricing compared to other salts

- Everyone does not consume saindhava namak

- 60% of the population do not trust Puro as it is new in the market

- Need more promotion about puro healthy salt

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 Analysis of the finding of the data

Sales review of Puro salt

General Trade

Sales review of Puro salt

Modern Trade

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

There needs a lot of promotion to be done. Almost 60% of the population is not aware of Puro Healthy
Salt and some of them who want to try cannot try the salt due to its high price.29% of the total
population purchased puro salt and the rest purchased other variety salt. Hoardings and banners should
be placed at different areas so that people can see it while passing by. Special campaigns should be
organized in the rural areas and awareness about Puro healthy should be created. Small packets of salt
should be manufactured by the company(500 gm).Price of puro healthy salt should be reduced as
people who even wish to try Puro Salt are deprived of consuming it because of their not having the
capacity to purchase it.

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Have you changed any product in the past after you came to know its
unhealthy?

Sales

Yes
No

Out of the survey of 58 consumers, 60% told Yes, that they changed their salt after knowing its
unhealthy and 40% said No that they have not changed their salt in the past.

How much do you think commodities like oil, salt sugar, chili powder etc can
affect your health if they are unhealthy products?

Sales

Doesn't affect your health

Moderately affects your health
Strongly affects your health

Out of the survey of 58 consumers of salt,12% said that sugar, oil, etc which are unhealthy
doesn’t affect their health,48.2% said it affects moderately and 39.6% said it affects strongly.

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Which brand of Salt do you use daily?
Sales

Tata
Ashirwad
Patanjali
Puro

Out of a survey of 58 consumers, 68.9% consumers use Tata, 8.6% consumers use Ashirwad,
10.3% use Patanjali and 12% use Puro.

Where does your salt come from?

Sales

Sea
Chemical factory
Mountains
Don’t Know

Out of the surveys of 58 consumers,3.4% told that salt come from sea, 31% told that salt come
from chemical factory, 41.3% told that the salt comes from Mountains, 24.1% told that they
don’t know.

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Where does refined white salt come from?
Sales

Sea
Chemical factory
Mountains
Don’t know

Out of the survey of 58 customers,10.3% told that the refined white salt come from sea,18.9%
told salt comes from chemical factory, 32.7% told salt comes from Mountains, 37.9% told they
don’t know.

Do you think, the source of salt would make a difference on your health?

Can make a strong difference

Category 1
Moderately
Doesn't make a difference

0 1 2 3 4 5

Out of the survey of 58 customers,13.7% customers think salt can make a strong difference,31%
think salt can make moderate difference and 55.1% told it doesn’t make any difference.

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Have you changed your salt brand previously?

50

45

40

35

30

25 YES
NO
20

15

10

0
Category 1 Category 2

Out of 58 customers surveyed, 25.8% told they have changed their salt brand previously and
74.1% told they did not change the salt brand.

How much do you think, salt can affect your health?

60

50

40 Doesn't affect
Moderately affect
30
Strongly affect Strongly affect
20
Moderately affect
10
0 Doesn't affect

Category 1

Out of 58 customers surveyed, 10% told salt doesn’t affect their health, 30% told it moderately
affects and 60% told salt strongly affect the health.

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Do you think your salt has any minerals?

Sales

Yes
No

Out of 58 customers surveyed,58.6% told their salt has minerals and 43.1% told their salt do not
have minerals.

Do you know 84 minerals in your salt can be good for your heart, digestion
etc.?

Sales

Yes
No

Out of 58 customers surveyed, 46.5% said they know 84 minerals in salt is good for heart,
digestion, etc and 53.4% said they do not know.

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Have you heard of mineral salt or Puro Healthy Salt?

Sales

Yes
No

Out of 58 customers surveyed, 55.1% told they have heard about Puro healthy salt and 44.8%
said they did not hear about Puro salt.

Would a .40 p incremental increase in the salt budget affect the monthly
budget?

Sales

Yes
No

Out of 58 consumers surveyed, 36.2% told that a .40 increment in salt budget will affect the
monthly budget and 63.7% told no it would not affect their monthly budget.

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5 Factors Influencing Consumer Buying Behaviour

The consumer behavior or buying behavior was influenced by several factors or forces.

1. Internal or Psychological factors

2. Social factors
3. Cultural factors
4. Economic factors
5. Personal factors.

1. Internal or Psychological factors

The buying behavior of consumers was influenced by a number of internal or

Psychological factors.

a) Motivation:
Biogenic needs: They arise from physiological states of tension such as thirst,
hunger.

Psychogenic needs: They arise from psychological states of tension such as

Needs for recognition, Esteem needs, Health needs, or Health consciousness.

2. Social factors:

Man is a social animal. Hence, our behavior patterns, are influenced by the people around us to a
great extent .We always seek confirmation from the people around us and seldom do things that
are not socially acceptable. The social factors influencing consumer behavior are a) Family, b)
Reference Groups, c) Roles and status.

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a) Family: The role and the relative influence of the husband, wife and children in the purchase
of goods and services in case of Puro salt. Many people who wanted to use the product next time
wanted to consult their friends or families before they could buy the product. A study was hence
conducted which matches the above statement.

b) Reference group: A group is two or more persons who share a set of norms and whose
relationship makes their behavior interdependent. A reference group is a group of people with
whom an individual associates. It is a group of people who strongly influence a person’s attitudes
values and behavior directly or indirectly. Reference groups fall into many possible grouping,
which are not necessarily to be exhaustive (i.e.non-over-lapping).
For e.g. reference groups were also seen during sales approach where a group of Students or
hostellers were seen buying things from the grocery store during evening activities.

c) Roles and status: A person participates in many groups like family, clubs, and organizations’.
The person’s position in each group can be defined intern role and status. A role consists of the
activities that a person is expected to perform. Each role carries a status. There were people who
choose products that communicated their role and status in the society. For example rich persons
did not hesitate while describing about the product Puro salt and very likely purchased the
products when briefed about its health impacts and health benefits.

3. Economic Factors: Consumer behavior is influenced largely by economic factors.

Economic factors that influence consumer behavior are:-
a) Personal Income: The personal income of a person is determinant of his buying behavior.
The gross personal income of a person consists of disposable income and discretionary income.
The disposable personal income refers to the actual income (i.e. money balance) remaining at the
disposal of a person after deducting taxes and compulsorily deductible items from the gross
income. For example there were also people at the store who did not bother about the price rather
they were looking for natural and healthy products, in case of sales, Puro salt made its way and
after knowing about the product’s benefits and health values, people with good personal income
agreed to buy the product.

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b) Income:
Income level of people is another factor which can exert influence in shaping the consumption
pattern. Income is an important source of purchasing power. So, buying pattern of people differs
with different levels of income. In case of sales of the product many buyers at the store had good
purchasing power and so selling was easy at some places.

5 Stages of Consumer Buying Decision Process

The marketer is responsible for selling the goods in the market so he must have the knowledge
how the consumers actually make their buying decisions. For this he must study the consumer
buying decision process or model. It involves five stages:

1) Need recognition: Consumer buying decision process starts with need recognition.
The marketer must recognize the needs of the consumer as well as how these needs can be
satisfied. For example need to buy a product which offers health benefits.

2) Information search: In consumer buying decision process information search comes at

second number. In this stage consumer searches the information about the product either from
family, friends, neighborhood, advertisements, whole seller, retailers, dealers, or by examining or
using the product. For example in case of Puro Healthy Salt.

3) Evaluation of alternatives: After getting the required knowledge about the product the
consumer evaluate the various alternatives on the basis of its want satisfying power, quality and
its features which was seen during marketing and sales of product.

4) Purchase decision: After evaluating the alternatives the buyer buys the suitable product. But
there are also the chances to postpone the purchase decision due to some reasons. In that case the
marketer must try to find out the reasons and try to remove them either by providing sufficient
information to the consumers or by giving the guarantee regarding the product to the consumer.

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5) Post purchase behavior: After buying the product consumer will either be satisfied or
dissatisfied. If the consumer is not satisfied in that case he will be disappointed otherwise if he is
satisfied, then he will be delighted.

Why Puro Salt?

Puro Healthy Salt is unrefined and natural – free of bleaches, chemicals, anti-caking agents and
other impurities that you might find in your regular iodized salt. With over 80 minerals like
Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and naturally occurring traces of Iodine essential for
holistic well- being, Puro Healthy Salt is a natural and healthier alternative to iodized salt. Even
with its impressive mineral profile, it doesn't compromise on taste.

Selling experience with actual numbers

My selling experience was pretty good. I was good at selling the most number of salts. My convincing
skill was good which attracted many customers to purchase Puro Healthy Salt. I had faced difficulties
dealing with few customers who asked me many questions related to salt, but finally managed to
convince them to try puro healthy salt. Some of the customers whom I provided information did not
purchase the salt the same day but next day came looking for me and purchased salt from me. Overall
I gained experience in General trade as well as Modern trade. Got exposure to interact with different
varieties of customers and promoted Puro Healthy Salt to them.

All total starting from June 5th, 2018 to July 29th, 2018, I have sold 297 KG of Puro Healthy Salt.

Total customer interaction - 509

Total sales – 297 Kg

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 FINDINGS
 Nowadays, only 40-50% of the population is aware of the brand Puro i.e., Puro healthy salt.
 People who are consuming puro healthy salt are experiencing the change which they did not
get in any white salt i.e., Purity, Healthy, Tasty.
 After using Puro healthy salt, people found their blood pressure is in control, bones are getting
stronger, sugar is in control etc.

OBJECTIVES
 To study on the opportunity and feasibility of category development through primary
research elements applied in the direct engagement with end customer.

 Engaging sales and customer interaction regarding the health benefits, usage and the
introduction of a healthy product in the market environment to bring changes to the
customer perception and knowledge regarding the product.

 Spreading the health awareness of puro healthy salt.

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 RECOMMENDATIONS

 Ancient wisdom -Charaka samhita, the most authentic ayurvedic literature, recommends
this pink salt for its several benefits including improving digestion, eyesight and overall
well-being.
 Health- recommended by doctors and nutritionists, this mineral-rich salt is among the
healthiest salts in the world.
 Taste - top chefs worldwide recommend this tasty salt for enhancing the flavour in food
 Purity - this all-natural salt is sourced from pristine, unpolluted, untouched natural
resources, just the way nature created it.

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 Conclusion

The internship duration at Puro Healthy Salt was a joyful and a great learning experience for me. The
opportunity to learn and complete various tasks during my two months’ time period has boost up my
skills and taught me how to present myself at field work environment and explore my own interests.

This internship program was not only for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of
“Masters in Business Administration (MBA)”, Amity University, Kolkata. I learned many new things.
Being polite and punctual is very important at times even when many tasks are assigned without any
guidance. Self-confidence, patience and continuous contribution are very much important.

At the real life work environment one should learn to do by observing others. They don't have time to
explain each and everything.

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References

https://www.pinhealth.com/products/puro-healthy-salt-rock-salt-pack-of-1

https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=404
925768

https://www.amazon.in/Puro-Healthy-Salt-1kg-Pack/dp/B077JPV55L

https://blog.paleohacks.com/himalayan-salt/

https://www.marketing91.com/5-steps-consumer-buying-behavior/

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/consumers/consumer-buying-behaviours-4-
important-types-of-consumer-buying-behaviours/22153

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 ANNEXURES

Name:

Address:

Email id:

Phone no:

Intern name:

DOB:

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Date of filling:

1. Have you changed any product in the past after you came to know its
unhealthy?
a. Yes
b. No

2. If yes, what made you choose the new product over the one you were
consuming?

3. How much do you think commodities like oil, salt sugar, chili powder etc can
affect your health if they are unhealthy products? Rate on scale of 1 to 7.

Doesn’t affect your health Moderately affect your health Strongly affect your health

4. Which brand of Salt do you use daily?

5. Where does your salt come from?

1. Sea
2. Chemical Factory
3. Mountains
4. Don’t know

6. Where does refined white salt come from?

1. Sea
2. Chemical Factory
3. Mountains
4. Don’t know

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7. Do you think, the source of salt would make a difference on your health? Rate
on a scale of 1 to 7.

Doesn’t make a difference Moderately Can make a Strong difference

8. Have you changed your salt brand previously?

1. Yes
2. No

9. If yes, why and to which brand and why?

10. How much do you think, salt can affect your health on a scale of 1 to 7?
Doesn’t affect your health Moderately affect your health Strongly affect your health

11. Do you think your salt has any minerals?

1. Yes
2. No

12. Do you know 84 minerals in your salt can be good for your heart, digestion
etc.?
1. Yes
2. No

13. Have you heard of mineral salt or Puro Healthy Salt?

1. Yes
2. No

14. Would a .40 p incremental increase in the salt budget affect the monthly
budget?
1. Yes
2. No

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