Description of business and significant accounting policies	3 Months Ended
Apr. 05, 2014
Basis Of Presentation Fiscal Year End And New Accounting Pronouncements Disclosure [Abstract]
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure Text Block	1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies SunOpta Inc. (the “Company” or “SunOpta”) was incorporated under the laws of Canada on November 13, 1973. The Company operates businesses focused on a healthy products portfolio that promotes sustainable well-being. The Company operates in two industry segments, the largest being SunOpta Foods, which consists of three reportable segments—Global Sourcing and Supply, Value Added Ingredients, and Consumer Products—that operate in the natural, organic and specialty food sectors and utilize a number of integrated business models to bring cost-effective and quality products to market. In addition to SunOpta Foods, the Company owned approximately 66% of Opta Minerals Inc. (“Opta Minerals”) as at April 5, 2014 and December 28, 2013, on a non-dilutive basis. Opta Minerals is a vertically integrated provider of custom process solutions and industrial mineral products for use primarily in the steel, foundry, loose abrasive cleaning, and municipal water filtration industries. As at April 5, 2014 and December 28, 2013, the Company also had an approximate 19% equity ownership position in Mascoma Corporation (“Mascoma”), on a non-dilutive basis. Mascoma is an innovative company leveraging internally developed technologies to drive bioconversion of biomass for petroleum replacements. Basis of presentation The interim consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, these condensed interim consolidated financial statements do not include all of the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for fair presentation have been included and all such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Operating results for the quarter ended April 5, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending January 3, 2015 or for any other period. The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, and have been prepared on a basis consistent with the annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 28, 2013. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013.

Description of business and significant accounting policies

3 Months Ended

Apr. 05, 2014

Basis Of Presentation Fiscal Year End And New Accounting Pronouncements Disclosure [Abstract]

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements Disclosure Text Block

1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

SunOpta Inc. (the “Company” or “SunOpta”) was incorporated under the laws of Canada on November 13, 1973. The Company operates businesses focused on a healthy products portfolio that promotes sustainable well-being. The Company operates in two industry segments, the largest being SunOpta Foods, which consists of three reportable segments—Global Sourcing and Supply, Value Added Ingredients, and Consumer Products—that operate in the natural, organic and specialty food sectors and utilize a number of integrated business models to bring cost-effective and quality products to market. In addition to SunOpta Foods, the Company owned approximately 66% of Opta Minerals Inc. (“Opta Minerals”) as at April 5, 2014 and December 28, 2013, on a non-dilutive basis. Opta Minerals is a vertically integrated provider of custom process solutions and industrial mineral products for use primarily in the steel, foundry, loose abrasive cleaning, and municipal water filtration industries. As at April 5, 2014 and December 28, 2013, the Company also had an approximate 19% equity ownership position in Mascoma Corporation (“Mascoma”), on a non-dilutive basis. Mascoma is an innovative company leveraging internally developed technologies to drive bioconversion of biomass for petroleum replacements.

Basis of presentation

The interim consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, these condensed interim consolidated financial statements do not include all of the disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for fair presentation have been included and all such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Operating results for the quarter ended April 5, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending January 3, 2015 or for any other period. The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, and have been prepared on a basis consistent with the annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 28, 2013. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements.

+ References+ Details