Unilever to Further Demonstrate Vitality at Annual Food Marketing Institute Conference and Expo; New Products and Innovative Research to Be Featured.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. -- Unilever United States will take part in the annual Food Marketing Institute Conference and Expo 2006, May 7-9 in Chicago. Leading brands will be featured, as well as several new and exciting products on behalf of Bertolli(TM) Frozen Dinners, Country Crock(TM) Side Dishes, Lipton Tea(TM), Slim-Fast(TM) and Wish-Bone(TM) Salad Dressing.

"As part of our overall vitality mission, we want to empower consumers to enjoy food, enjoy health and enjoy life," stated Art Drogue, Sr. Vice President Customer Development, Unilever U.S. "Through our dedication to the consumer, we've been strengthening and extending the vitality benefits of our food brands. We are excited to showcase some of these great innovations and marketing campaigns here at FMI."

In addition, Unilever's breakthrough research entitled "Winning the Hispanic Shopping Trip" - the follow up to the Unilever Trip Management Report of 2005 - will also be featured. This groundbreaking study provides new perspectives on commonly held perceptions pertaining to the Hispanic market - all to help retailers define the Hispanic shopper from the general market consumer, ultimately growing food and non-food trips of all kinds.

Located at Booth 1666 on the tram aisle, visitors to the Unilever booth will have a chance to actively engage with the brands and receive special gifts, as well as visit the Vitality Body Mass/Body Fat testing station (AREA 3). New product sampling and information highlights are as follows:

Bertolli Frozen Dinners

Bertolli has recently expanded its successful line of frozen dinners by offering consumers more restaurant-inspired meals. The new varieties hit store shelves in January and include:

--Chicken alla Vodka & Farfalle with asparagus in a creamy tomato vodka sauce

--Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo & Penne with tri-colored peppers in a spicy tomato sauce

--Meatballs Pomodoro & Penne with peppers and onions in a tomato basil sauce

--Chicken Florentine & Farfalle with spinach in a parmesan cheese sauce

Bertolli Frozen Dinners are restaurant quality, authentic Italian dinners that go straight from the freezer to your table in just 10 minutes. These innovative, premium dinners look, smell and taste freshly prepared with flavorful sauces, crisp vegetables and pasta that cooks up al dente every time. (AREA 9)

Country Crock Deluxe Side Dishes

Continuing the reputation for wholesome goodness that has long been synonymous with the Country Crock name, Country Crock has expanded its meal solution offerings with the launch of its Deluxe range of Side Dishes. New Deluxe flavors include: Scalloped Potatoes, Cheddar Broccoli Rice, Loaded Mashed Potatoes and an improved Macaroni & Cheese. The Deluxe Side Dishes products are considered to be difficult to make yet are very desirable at home, providing a convenient yet delicious meal option. All dishes are hassle free, fully-prepared, chilled sides that are ready to heat and serve in five minutes and are made with high quality ingredients, such as 100% fresh russet potatoes, fresh milk, and real cheddar cheese. (AREA 8)

Lipton Premium Teas

NEW! These innovative, pyramid-shaped bags allow the long leaf tea more room to infuse for optimal aroma, color, and taste. Lipton Premium Tea is the only premium tea containing real pieces of fruit for outstanding taste and a genuine, pure flavor experience not available from flavoring alone. The longleaf is the natural state of the tea leaf offering an authentic tea experience (like brewing loose tea) and preserving the natural goodness of the leaf. (AREA 4)

Available in six new, 100% natural flavors:

Bavarian Wild Berry, Vanilla Caramel Truffle, Red Tea with Harvest Strawberry & Passionfruit, White Tea with Island Mango & Peach, Green Tea with Mandarin Orange and Black Pearl 

Slim-Fast High Protein Shakes and Bars & Optima Hunger Control Shakes

With nearly 2/3 of the U.S. population overweight and 60% wanting to lose 20 lbs. or more, Slim-Fast has introduced two significant innovations designed to help people in reaching their healthy weight goals. The first, Slim-Fast High Protein ready-to-drink shakes and bars, provide 15g of protein per serving to help active consumers build lean muscle while losing weight and exercising as part of the Slim-Fast plan. Slim-Fast Hi Protein is available in Extra Creamy Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Coffee shakes, and Chocolate Chip and Peanut Granola meal bars.

The second innovation, NEW Slim-Fast Optima hunger control shakes were launched in January. With 53% of Americans saying they "cheat" on a diet because they're hungry, Slim-Fast offers a delicious, healthy solution. Using a patented Unilever technology combining protein and fat, the new shakes help consumers control their hunger for up to four hours with less than 200 delicious calories. NEW Optima shakes are available in Creamy Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Royale, Vanilla and Strawberry. (AREA 6)

Wish-bone Salad Spritzers

Dressing for the summer season has never been easier or more fashionable with the introduction of new Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers salad dressing, the season's must-have salad accessory! New Salad Spritzers dressings come packaged in breakthrough easy-to-use spray bottles that give salad lovers more control than ever in adding the finishing touch to their salads. These light tasting, refreshing vinaigrette dressings, available in most stores by May 2006, are offered in three popular varieties flavors: Italian, Balsamic Breeze and Red Wine Mist. (AREA 2)

Winning the Hispanic Shopping Trip - A Unilever Trip Management Report

The breakthrough Unilever Trip Management Report of 2005 gave the marketplace a dynamic new understanding of consumer shopping activity and has fast become a new retail diagnostic tool for success. The new Winning the Hispanic Shopping Trip report applies the retail growth lessons of Trip Management to fresh insights on Hispanic Shoppers and offers opportunities to please the nation's fastest-growing grocery market.

Hispanics already exceed 41 million in the United States, and are projected to reach 48 million by 2010, 60 million by 2020 and 103 million by 2050, when they will account for just under 25 % of the nation's population. Unique behavior-based research methodology was applied, yielding new perspectives on commonly held perceptions - all to help retailers define the Hispanic shopper from the general market consumer, ultimately growing food and non-food trips of all kinds. (AREA 12)

About Unilever

Unilever (NYSE: UL, UN), one of the world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get more out of life.

In the United States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Lipton, Knorr, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim--Fast, Snuggle, Suave and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever in the United States employs more than 15,000 people in 74 office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico - generating more than $13 billion in sales in 2005. For more information visit www.unileverusa.com