SunOpta (STKL) 10-Q 11 May 16 2016 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	May. 06, 2016
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Apr. 2, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Entity Registrant Name	SunOpta Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	351,834
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Well Known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Trading Symbol	STKL
Entity Common Stock Shares Outstanding		85,509,835

Consolidated Statements of Oper

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Revenues	$ 352,314	$ 273,949
Cost of goods sold	320,413	244,779
Gross profit	31,901	29,170
Selling, general and administrative expenses	24,272	20,697
Intangible asset amortization	2,822	625
Other income, net	3,978	104
Foreign exchange (gain) loss	2,172	(2,103)
Earnings from continuing operations before the following	(1,343)	9,847
Interest expense, net	11,022	927
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(12,365)	8,920
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(3,086)	3,021
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(9,279)	5,899
Income Loss From Discontinued Operations Net Of Tax Abstract
Loss from discontinued operations	(1,993)	(1,345)
Gain on classification as held for sale	560	0
Recovery of income taxes during phase out	599	264
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to non-controlling interests	264	361
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(570)	(720)
Earnings (loss)	(9,849)	5,179
Earnings (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	384	(55)
Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.	$ (10,233)	$ 5,234
Earnings (loss) per share - basic
from continuing operations	$ (0.11)	$ 0.09
from discontinued operations	(0.01)	(0.01)
Earnings (loss) Per Share Total	(0.12)	0.08
Earnings (loss) per share - diluted
from continuing operations	(0.11)	0.09
from discontinued operations	(0.01)	(0.01)
Earnings (loss) Per Share Diluted Total	$ (0.12)	$ 0.08

Consolidated Statements of Comp

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	$ (9,279)	$ 5,899
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(570)	(720)
Earnings (loss)	(9,849)	5,179
Change in fair value of interest rate swap, net of income taxes	0	(196)
Currency translation adjustment	1,939	(4,437)
Other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of income taxes	1,939	(4,633)
Comprehensive earnings (loss)	(7,910)	546
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	241	(782)
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc	$ (8,151)	$ 1,328

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016	Jan. 03, 2015
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 5,475	$ 2,274	$ 7,768
Accounts receivable	135,167	117,412
Inventories	357,146	371,223
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	22,399	20,088
Current income taxes recoverable	21,722	21,728
Current assets held for sale	59,732	64,330
Assets, Current, Total	601,641	597,055
Property, Plant and Equipment	173,552	176,513
Goodwill	242,047	241,690
Intangible Assets	192,284	195,008
Deferred income taxes	970	958
Other assets	12,131	7,979
Assets, Total	1,222,625	1,219,203
Current liabilities
Bank indebtedness	202,444	159,773
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	134,318	151,831
Customer and other deposits	4,259	5,322
Income taxes payable	2,745	1,720
Other current liabilities	1,143	1,521
Current portion of long-term debt	2,226	1,773
Current portion of long-term liabilities	5,243	5,243
Current liabilities held for sale	48,597	52,486
Liabilities, Current, Total	400,975	379,669
Long-term debt	313,911	321,222
Long-term liabilities	17,934	17,809
Deferred income taxes	70,649	74,324
Liabilities, Total	803,469	793,024
Sunopta Inc Shareholders Equity [Abstract]
Common Stock, Value, Outstanding	298,099	297,987
Additional paid in capital	23,366	22,327
Retained earnings	96,605	106,838
Accumulated other comprehensive income	(4,295)	(6,113)
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent, Total	413,775	421,039
Non-controlling interest	5,381	5,140
Total Equity	419,156	426,179	$ 353,328
Liabilities and Equity, Total	$ 1,222,625	$ 1,219,203
Commitments and contingencies

Consolidated Balance Sheet (par

Consolidated Balance Sheet (parentheticals) - $ / shares	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Common Stock Shares Issued	85,439,680	85,417,849
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	85,439,680	85,417,849
Common Stock, No Par Value	$ 0	$ 0

Consolidated Statements of Shar

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Balance at Jan. 03, 2015	$ 353,328	$ 190,668	$ 22,490	$ 129,309	$ (1,778)	$ 12,639
Balance, shares at Jan. 03, 2015		67,074
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Value	122	$ 122	0	0	0	0
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Shares		9
Exercise of options	1,494	$ 2,273	(779)	0	0	0
Exercise of options, shares		394
Exercise of Warrants, Value	812	$ 1,253	(441)	0	0	0
Exercise of Warrants, Shares		250
Stock based compensation	1,082	$ 0	1,082	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	5,899	0	0	5,954	0	(55)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(1,081)	0	0	(720)	0	(361)
Currency translation adjustment	(4,437)	0	0	0	(4,138)	(299)
Change in fair value of interest rate swap, net of income taxes	(196)	0	0	0	(129)	(67)
Balance at Apr. 04, 2015	357,023	$ 194,316	22,352	134,543	(6,045)	11,857
Balance, shares at Apr. 04, 2015		67,727
Balance at Jan. 03, 2015	353,328	$ 190,668	22,490	129,309	(1,778)	12,639
Balance, shares at Jan. 03, 2015		67,074
Balance at Jan. 02, 2016	426,179	$ 297,987	22,327	106,838	(6,113)	5,140
Balance, shares at Jan. 02, 2016		85,418
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Value	96	$ 96	0	0	0	0
Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Shares		19
Exercise of options	16	$ 16	0	0	0	0
Exercise of options, shares		3
Stock based compensation	1,039	$ 0	1,039	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(9,279)	0	0	(9,663)	0	384
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(834)	0	0	(570)	0	(264)
Currency translation adjustment	1,939	0	0	0	1,818	121
Balance at Apr. 02, 2016	$ 419,156	$ 298,099	$ 23,366	$ 96,605	$ (4,295)	$ 5,381
Balance, shares at Apr. 02, 2016		85,440

Consolidated Statements of Cash

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015	Jan. 02, 2016
Operating Activities
Earnings (loss)	$ (9,849)	$ 5,179
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(570)	(720)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(9,279)	5,899
Items not affecting cash
Depreciation and amortization	8,760	4,063
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	3,368	98
Acquisition accounting adjustment on inventory sold	7,626	0
Deferred income taxes	(3,687)	(195)
Stock-based compensation	1,039	970
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Instrument	(209)	(103)
Impairment of long-lived assets (note 14)	1,735	0
Other	238	515
Changes in non-cash working capital, net of business acquired	(27,485)	(22,200)
Net cash flows from operations - continuing operations	(17,894)	(10,953)
Net cash flows from operations - discontinued operations	758	(533)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Total	(17,136)	(11,486)
Investing activities
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	(13,300)
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(4,547)	(5,521)
Other	0	(30)
Net cash flows from investing activities - continuing operations	(4,547)	(18,851)
Net cash flows from investing activities - discontinued operations	(191)	(222)
Net cash flows from investing activities	(4,738)	(19,073)
Financing activities
Increase (decrease) under line of credit facilities	232,543	21,347
Borrowings under long term debt	432	0
Repayment of line of credit facilities	(192,677)	0
Repayment of long-term debt	(10,486)	(243)
Financing costs	(4,110)	0
Proceeds From Stock Options Exercised	112	1,616
Proceeds From Warrant Exercises	0	812
Other	(15)	(137)
Net cash flows from financing activities - continuing operations	25,799	23,395
Cash Provided By Used In Financing Activities Discontinued Operations	(1,180)	738
Net Cash Provided By (Used In) Financing Activities	24,619	24,133
Foreign exchange gain (loss) on cash held in a foreign currency	37	(21)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents during the period	2,782	(6,447)
Discontinued operations cash activity included above:
Add: Balance included at beginning of period	1,707	2,170	$ 2,170
Less: Balance included at end of period	1,288	2,083	1,707
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of the period	2,274	7,768	7,768
Cash and cash equivalents - end of the period	5,475	1,408	$ 2,274
Noncash Investing And Financing Items [Abstract]
Business Combination Working Capital Adjustment	0	319
Acquisition of business, settlement of pre-existing relationship	0	(749)
Acquistion of business, contingent consideration at fair value	$ 0	$ (18,000)

Description of Business and Sig

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
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’s two reportable segments, Global Ingredients and Consumer Products, operate in the natural, organic and specialty food sectors and utilize an integrated business model to bring cost-effective and quality produ cts to market. In addition, the Company owned approximately 66 % of Opta Minerals Inc. (“ Opta Minerals”) as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016 , on a non-dilutive basis. Opta Minerals produces, distributes and recycles industrial minerals, silica-free abrasives and specialty sands. On February 12, 2016, the Company announced that Opta Minerals had entered into a definitive acquisition agreement, pursuant to which an affiliate of Speyside Equity Fund I LP (“Speyside”), agreed to acquire substantially all of the issue d and outsta nding shares of Opta Minerals. The acquisition of Opta Minerals by Speyside was completed on April 6, 2016 , following a vote of the shareholders of Opta Minerals in favor of the transaction on March 31, 2016 . For further information regardin g the Company’s divestiture of its equity interest in Opta Minerals, see note 3 . Basis of P resentation 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 fina ncial 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 nor mal, recurring nature. Operating results for the quarter ended April 2, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2016 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 January 2, 2016 . For further informat ion, 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 January 2, 2016 . Comparative Balances As at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016, Opta Minerals was classi fied as a discontinued operation held for sale. As a result, the operating results and cash flows of Opta Minerals for the quarter ended April 4, 2015 has been reclassified to discontinued operations to be consistent with presentation for the quarter ende d April 2, 2016 . In addition, the assets and liabilities of Opta Minerals have been reported as held for sale on the consolidated balance sheets as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016. Fiscal Year-End The fiscal year of the Company consists of a 52- or 53-week period ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Fiscal year 2016 is a 52-week period ending on December 31, 2016, with quarterly periods ending on April 2, July 2 and October 1, 2016. Fiscal year 2015 was a 52-week period ending on Janu ary 2, 2016, with quarterly periods ending on April 4, July 4 and October 3, 2015. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ ASU ”) 2016-09, “Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, which is intended to simplify the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, the classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and the classification on the statement of cash flows. Under the new guidance, companies will record excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement rather than in ad ditional paid-in capital. In addition, the guidance permits companies to elect to recognize forfeitures of share-based payments as they occur, rather than estimating the number of awards expected to be forfeited as is currently required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issue d ASU 2016-02, “Leases”, a comprehensive new standard that amends various aspects of existing accounting guidance for leases, including the recognition of a right of use asset and a lease liability for leases with a duration of greater than one year. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated fina ncial statements; however, the Company anticipates that upon adoption of the standard it will recognize additional assets and corresponding liabilities related to leases on its balance sheet. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instru ments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. ASU 2016-01 will require equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The guidance provides a new measurement alternative for equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values and do not qualify for the net asset practical expedient. Under this alternative, these investments can be measured at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment with the same issuer. Additionally, ASU 2016-01 also changes certain disclosure requirements and other aspects of current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-01 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, which will supersede existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. Under the new standard, a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which defers by one year the effective date of ASU 2014-09. In addition, in March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, an amendment to clarify the implementation guidance around considerations whether an entity is a principal or an agent, impacting whether an entity reports revenue on a gross or net basis, and, in April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, an amendment to clarify guidance on identifying performance obligations and the implementation guidance on licensi ng of intellectual property. ASU 2014-09, as amended, will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017, and is to be applied on either a full retrospective or modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitt ed only as of annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Business Acquisition

Business Acquisition	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]	2 . Business Acquisitions Sunrise Holdings (Delaware), Inc. On October 9, 2015, the Company completed the acquisition of 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Sunrise Holdings (Delaware), Inc. (“Sunrise”), pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “PSA”) dated July 30, 2015 (the “Sunrise Acquisition”). Sunrise is a processor of conventional and organic individually quick frozen (“ IQF ”) fruit in the U.S. and Mexico. The acquisition of Sunrise has been accounted for as a business combination under the acquisitio n method of accounting. The results of Sunrise have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition and are reported in the Consumer Products operating segment. The acquisition of Sunrise is aligned with the Company’s strategic focus on healthy and organic foods. Total consideration for the Sunrise Acquisition was $4 72.7 million in cash paid at the acquisition date, which included the repayment of all outstanding obligations under Sunrise’s senior credit f acility in the amount of $171.5 million. In addition, the total consideration included $23.0 million paid by the Company to the holders of Sunrise stock options . As all outstanding Sunrise stock options vested upon the consummation of the Sunrise Acquisi tion, pursuant to the terms of Sunrise’s pre-existing stock option agreements, the cash consideration paid to the optionholders has been attributed to services prior to the Sunrise Acquisition and included as a component of the purchase price. The total c onsideration also included $20.9 million paid by the Company to settle acquisition-related transaction costs incurred by Sunrise in connection with the Sunrise Acquisition. As none of these costs were incurred by Sunrise on behalf of the Company, the cash consideration paid to settle these costs has been included as a component of the purchase price. The following table summarizes the preliminary estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as at the acquisition date . The following amounts recognized for the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are provisional and subject to change: ( i ) amounts for working capital pending final evaluation of certain pre-acquisition contingencies; (ii) amounts for property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets pen ding final validation of the inputs and assumptions used in the valuation analysis ; (iii) amounts for income tax assets and liabilities pending finalization of estimates and assumptions in respect of certain tax implications of the Sunrise Acquisition and filing of Sunrise’s pre-acquisition tax returns; and (iv) amount of goodwill pending the completion of the valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company expects to finalize these amounts no later than one year from the acquisition dat e . $ Cash and cash equivalents 1,728 Accounts receivable (1) 26,090 Inventories (2) 124,829 Income taxes recoverable 12,025 Other current assets 3,982 Property, plant and equipment (3) 46,068 Intangible assets (4) 170,000 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (24,169) Long-term debt, including current portion (7,620) Deferred income taxes, net (75,193) Net identifiable assets acquired 277,740 Goodwill (5) 196,709 Non-controlling interest (6) (1,781) Net assets acquired 472,668 (1) The gross amount of accounts receivable acquired was $26.2 million, of which the Company expects $0.2 million will be uncollectible. (2) Includes an estimated fair value adjustment to inventory of $19.0 million, of which $7.6 million and $4.0 million was recognized in costs of goods sold for inventory sold in the first quarter of 2016 and fourth quarter of 2015, respectively. (3) Includes an estimated fair value adjustment to property, plant and equipment of $3.7 million. (4) The identified intangible assets relate to customer relationships in existence at the acquisition date between Sunrise and major U.S. retail and foodservice customers . The customer relationships intangible assets will be amortized over an estimated weighted-average useful life of approximately 23 years. The estimated fair value of the intangible asset was determined using a discounted cash flow analysis (income appro ach), which applied a risk-adjusted discount rate of approximately 12.0%. (5) Goodwill is calculated as the difference between the acquisition-date fair values of the total consideration and the net assets acquired. The total amount of goodwill has been assigned to the Consumer Products operating segment and is not expected to be deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill recognized is attributable to: ( i ) cost savings, operating synergies, and other benefits expected to result from combining the operati ons of Sunrise with those of the Company ; (ii) the value of longer-term growth prospects in the private label frozen fruit market; (iii) the value of acquiring the current capabilities and low-cost position of the existing Sunrise business (i.e., the highe r rate of return on the assembled net assets versus acquiring all of the net assets separately); and (iv) the v alue of Sunrise’s assembled workforce. (6) Represents the estimated fair value of the non-controlling interest in Sunrise’s 75%-owned Mexican subsidiary. Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. On August 11, 2015, the Company acquired the net operating assets of Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. (“Niagara Natural”). Niagara Natural is a manufacturer of all-natural fruit snacks located in the Niagara Region of Ontario. The acquisition of the net operating assets of Niagara Natural has been accounted for as a business combination under the acquisition method of accounting. The results of Niagara Natural have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition and are reported in the Consumer Products operating segment. The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of the consideration transferred as at the acquisition date: $ Cash 6,475 Preliminary working capital adjustment 237 Contingent consideration (1) 2,330 Total consideration transferred 9,042 (1) The Company agreed to pay the owners of Niagara Natural an additional amount of up to approximately $2.8 million over a period of two years subject to adjustment based on certain performance targets. The fair value of the contingent consideration was determined to be $2.3 million as of the acquisition date. On May 5 , 2016, the Company and the owners of Niagara Nat ural entered into an agreement to settle the contingent consideration obligation in exchange for a one-time cash payment of $0.6 million (see note 13 ). The following table summarizes the preliminary estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liab ilities assumed as at the acquisition date, which are subject to change pending finalization of the working capital adjustment. The Company expects to finalize these amoun t s no later than one year from the acquisition date. $ Current assets 2,220 Machinery and equipment 3,414 Intangible assets (1) 2,459 Current liabilities (687) Net identifiable assets acquired 7,406 Goodwill (2) 1,636 Net assets acquired 9,042 (1) Intangible assets comprise customer relationships and non-competition arrangements, which will be amortized over an estimated weighted-average useful life of approximately 19 years. (2) The total amount of goodwill has been assigned to the Consumer Products operating segment. Citrusource , LLC On March 2, 2015, the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding units of Citrusource , LLC (“ Citrusource ”), a producer of premium not-from-concentrate private label organic and conventional orange juice and citrus products in the U.S. The acquisition of Citrusource has been accounted for as a business combination under the acquisition method of accounting. The results of Citrusource have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition and are reported in the Consumer Products operating segment. The acquisition of Citrusource aligns with the Company’s strategy of gr owing its value-added consumer products portfolio and leveraging its integrated operating platform. The following table summarizes the fair values of the consideration transferred as at the acquisition date: $ Cash 13,300 Working capital adjustment (319) Settlement of pre-existing relationship 749 Contingent consideration (1) 18,000 Total consideration transferred 31,730 (1) The contingent consideration arrangement with the former unitholders of Citrusource comprises two components: ( i ) deferred consideration calculated based on a seven-times multiple of the incremental growth in Citrusource’s earnings before interest, ta xes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) in fiscal year 2015 versus EBITDA for fiscal year 2014; and (ii) an earn-out calculated based on 25% of the incremental growth in the sum of Citrusource’s EBITDA and the EBITDA of the Company’s San Bernardino, California, juice production facility (the “Combined EBITDA”) in each of fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2018 versus the Combined EBITDA for fiscal year 2015. The re are no upper limits to the amount of each of the components. The fair value measurement of th e contingent consideration arrangement was determined to be approximately $ 18.0 million as at the acquisition date, based on a probability-weighted present value analysis, of which approximately $ 15.0 million is related to the deferred consideration and ap proximately $3 .0 million is related to the earn-out. The deferred consideration is payable in four equal annual installments commencing in 2016. Of the total continge nt consideration obligation, $4.0 million is included in current portion of long-term li abilities and $11.0 million is included in long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016 . The fair value of the contingent consideration arrangement is based on significant level 3 unobservable inputs, including the following factors: ( i ) estima ted range of EBITDA values in each of the earn-out periods; and (ii) the probability-weighting applied to each of the EBITDA values within the estimated range for each earn-out period. The resultant probability-weighted EBITDA values for each earn-out per iod were discounted at a credit risk-adjusted discount rate of approximately 3.5%. The following table summarizes the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as at the acquisition date . $ Accounts receivable 2,351 Inventories 1,745 Machinery and equipment 164 Customer relationships intangible asset (1) 14,000 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (1,666) Net identifiable assets acquired 16,594 Goodwill (2) 15,136 Net assets acquired 31,730 (1) The customer relationships intangible asset was recognized based on contracts in existence at the acquisition date between Citrusource and major U.S. retail customers. This intangible asset will be amortized over an estimated useful life of approximately 12 years. (2) Goodwill is calculated as the difference between the acquisition-date fair values of the consideration transferred and net assets acquired. The total amount of goodwill has been assigned to the Consumer Products operating se gment and is expected to be fully deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill recognized is attributable to: ( i ) operating synergies expected to result from combining the operations of Citrusource with the Company’s vertically-integrated juice production an d supply chain capabilities; and (ii) opportunities to leverage the business experience of Citrusource’s management team to grow the Company’s existing citrus beverage program.

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued Operations	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Discontinued Operations And Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations Disclosure [Text Block]	3 . Discontinued Operations Opta Minerals Inc. On February 11 , 2016, Opta Minerals entered into a definitive acquisition agreement, pursuant to which Speyside agreed to acquire substantially all of the issued and outstanding shares of Opta Minerals. The acquisition agreement was approved by Opta Minerals’ Boards of Directors, which recommended that Opta Minerals’ shareholders approve the transaction. Also on February 12, 2016, the Company entered into a support agreement pursuant to which it irrevocably agreed to vote all of its Opta Minerals’ sh ares in favor of the transaction. The acquisition of Opta Minerals by Speyside was completed on April 6, 2016, following a vote of the shareholders of Opta Minerals in favor of the transaction on March 31, 2016. Upon closing of the transaction, the Co mpany received aggregate gross proceeds of $4.8 million (C$6.2 million), of which $3.2 million (C$4.2 million) was received in cash, with the remainder received in the form of a $1.6 million (C$2.0 million) subordinated promissory note bearing interest at 2.0% per annum that will mature on October 6, 2018. In the first quarter of 2016, the Company recognized direct costs related to the sale of Opta Minerals of $0.8 million. The sale of Company’s equity interest in Opta Minerals was consistent with its obje ctive of divesting its non-core assets in order to become a pure-play healthy and organic foods company. The Company does not expect to have any significant continuing involvement with Opta Minerals. The Company determined that Opta Minerals qualified fo r reporting as a discontinued operation held for sale as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company recognized a loss on classification as held for sale of $10.5 million, or $7.7 million net of non-controlling intere st, to write down the carrying value of Opta Minerals’ net assets to fair value less cost to sell based on estimated net proceeds on sale of approximately $4.5 million as at January 2, 2016. In the first quarter of 2016, the Company recognized a $ 0.6 mil lion gain on classificat ion as held for sale , which reflected a $1.1 million decline in the carrying value of Opta Mineral’s net assets, partially offset by a $0.5 million reduction in the estimated net proceeds on sale. The net assets and liabilities of Opta Minerals have been reported as held for sale on the consolidated balance sheets as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016. The following table reconciles the major classes of assets and liabilities of Opta Minerals to the amounts reported as held for sa le: April 2, 2016 January 2, 2016 $ $ Cash and cash equivalents 1,288 1,707 Accounts receivable 14,355 14,676 Inventories 22,789 25,869 Property, plant and equipment 16,531 16,019 Intangible assets 13,354 13,194 Other assets 1,370 3,380 Loss recognized on classification as held for sale (9,955) (10,515) Total assets held for sale 59,732 64,330 Bank indebtedness 12,353 12,107 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 9,100 9,634 Long-term debt 26,324 25,858 Other liabilities 820 4,887 Total liabilities held for sale 48,597 52,486 The following table reconciles the major components of the results of discontinued operations to the amounts reported in the consolidated statements of operations : Quarter ended April 2, 2016 (1) April 4, 2015 $ $ Revenues 24,896 29,457 Cost of goods sold (2) (22,133) (25,735) Selling, general and administrative expenses (3,024) (2,973) Intangible asset amortization - (505) Other income (expense), net (3) (794) 70 Foreign exchange loss (454) (763) Interest expense (484) (896) Loss before income taxes (1,993) (1,345) Gain on classification as held for sale before income taxes 560 - Total pre-tax loss from discontinued operations (1,433) (1,345) Recovery of income taxes 599 264 Loss from discontinued operations (834) (1,081) Loss from discontinued operations attributable to non-controlling interest 264 361 Loss from discontinued operations attributable to SunOpta Inc. (570) (720) (1) For the quarter ended April 2, 2016, no depreciation or amortization was recorded on Opta Minerals’ long-lived assets classified as held for sale. (2) For the quarter ended April 2, 2016, cost of goods sold includes a charge related to the write-down of inventory recorded by Opta Minerals of $0.8 million. ( 3 ) For the quarter ended April 2, 2016, other expense, net includes a charge related to the impairment of long-lived assets recorded by Opta Minerals of $0.4 million.

Derivative Financial Instrument

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives and Fair Value [Text Block]	4 . Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements The following table presents for each of the fair value hierarchies, the assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016 : April 2, 2016 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ (a) Commodity futures and forward contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 503 73 430 - Unrealized long-term derivative asset 4 - 4 - Unrealized short-term derivative liability (957) - (957) - Unrealized long-term derivative liability (25) - (25) - (b) Inventories carried at market (2) 6,841 - 6,841 - (c) Forward foreign currency contracts (3) (848) - (848) - (d) Contingent consideration (4) (21,208) - - (21,208) (e) Embedded derivative (5) 3,409 - - 3,409 January 2, 2016 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ (a) Commodity futures and forward contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 748 - 748 - Unrealized long-term derivative asset 21 - 21 - Unrealized short-term derivative liability (1,417) (10) (1,407) - Unrealized long-term derivative liability (36) - (36) - (b) Inventories carried at market (2) 5,945 - 5,945 - (c) Forward foreign currency contracts (3) 311 - 311 - (d) Contingent consideration (4) (21,010) - - (21,010) (e) Embedded derivative (5) 3,409 - - 3,409 (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets, unrealized long-term derivative asset is included in other assets, unrealized short-term derivative liability is included in other current liabilities and unrealized long-term derivative liability is included in long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. (2) Inventories carried at market are included in inventories on the consolidated balance sheets. ( 3 ) The forward foreign currency contracts are included in accounts receivable or accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. ( 4 ) Contingen t consideration obligations are included in long-term liabilities (including the current portion thereof) on the consolidated balance sheets. ( 5 ) The embedded derivative is included in other assets (long-term) on the consolidated balance sheets. (a) Commodity futures and forward contracts The Company’s derivative contracts that are measured at fair value include exchange-traded commodity futures and forward commodity purchase and sale contracts. Exchange-traded futures are valued based on unadjusted quotes for identical assets priced in active markets and are classified as level 1. Fair value for forward commodity purchase and sale contracts is estimated based on exchange-quoted prices adjusted for differences in local markets. Local mark et adjustments use observable inputs or market transactions for similar assets or liabilities, and, as a result, are classified as level 2. Based on historical experience with the Company’s suppliers and customers, the Company’s own credit risk, and the C ompany’s knowledge of current market conditions, the Company does not view non-performance risk to be a significant input to fair value for the majority of its forward commodity purchase and sale contracts. These exchange-traded commodity futures and fo rward commodity purchase and sale contracts are used as part of the Company’s risk management strategy, and represent economic hedges to limit risk related to fluctuations in the price of certain commodity grains, as well as the prices of cocoa and coffee. These derivative instruments are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes. Gains and losses on changes in fair value of these derivative instruments are included in cost of goods sold on the consolidated statement of operations. For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , the Company recognized a gain of $0 .2 million ( April 4, 2015 – gain of $0.1 million) related to changes in the fair value of these derivatives. As at April 2, 2016 , the notional amounts of open commodity futures and forward purchase and sale contracts were as follows (in thousands of bushels): Number of bushels purchased (sold) Corn Soybeans Forward commodity purchase contracts 554 524 Forward commodity sale contracts (419) (660) Commodity futures contracts (300) (190) In addition, as at April 2, 2016 , the Company had net open forward contracts to purchase 1 lot of cocoa and to sell 6 lots of coffee. (b) Inventories carried at market Grains inventory carried at fair value is determined using quoted market prices from the Chicago Board of Trade (“ CBoT ”). Estimated fair market values for grains inventory quantities at period end are valued using the quoted price on the CBoT adjusted for differences in local markets, and broker or dealer quotes. These assets are placed in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, as there are observable quoted prices for similar assets in active markets. Gains and losses on commodity grains inventory are incl uded in cost of goods sold on the consolidated statements of operations. As at April 2, 2016 , the Company had 280,161 bushels of commodity corn and 379,914 bushels of commodity soybeans in inventories carried at market. (c) Foreign forward currency contracts As part of its risk management strategy, the Company enters into forward foreign exchange contracts to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in fo reign currency exchange rates. For any open forward foreign exchange contracts at period end, the contract rate is compared to the forward rate, and a gain or loss is recorded. These contracts are placed in level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, as the inputs used in making the fair value determination are derived from and ar e corroborated by observable market data. While these forward foreign exchange contracts typically represent economic hedges that are not designated as hedging instruments, certain of these contract s may be designated as hedges. As at April 2, 2016 the C ompany had open forward foreign exchange contracts with a notional value of € 27.2 million ($ 30.2 million). Gains and losses on changes in the fair value of these derivative instruments are included in foreign exchange l oss or gain on the consolidated statement of operations. For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , the Company recognized a loss of $1.2 million ( April 4, 2015 – gain of $0.4 million) related to changes in the fair value of these derivatives. ( d ) Contingent consideration The fair value measurement of contingent consideration arising from business acquisitions is determined using unobservable (level 3) inputs. These inputs include : ( i ) the estimated amount and timing of the projected cash flows on which the contingency is based; and (ii) the risk-adjusted discount rate used to p resent value those cash flows. The following table presents a reconciliation of contingent consideration obligations for the quarter ended April 2, 2016 : January 2, 2016 Fair Value April 2, 2016 Issuances Adjustments (1) Payments $ $ $ $ $ Contingent consideration (21,010) - (198) - (21,208) (1) Reflects accretion for the time value of money related to the Citrusource and Niagara Natural obligations, as well as an adjustment to the contractual amount owing to a former shareholder of Organic Land Corporation OOD , which was acquired by the Company on December 31, 2012. Fair value adjustments are included in other income/expense (see note 7 ). (e) Embedded derivative On August 5, 2011 and August 29, 2014, the Company invested $0.5 million and $0.9 million, respectively, in convertible subordinated notes issued by Enchi Corporation (“ Enchi ”), a developer of advanced bioconversion products for the renewable fuels industry, of which $0.2 million principal amount remained outstanding as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016. The Company’s investment in subordinated convertible notes of Enchi i ncludes the value of an accelerated payment option embedded in the notes, which may result in a maximum payout to the Company of $ 5.1 million . As at April 2, 2016 and January 2 , 201 6 , the Company determined that the fair value of this embedded derivative was $ 3.4 million . Due to a lack of level 1 or level 2 observable market quotes for the notes, the Company used a discounted cash flow analysis (in come approach) to estimate the original fair value of the embedded derivative based on unobservable level 3 inputs. The Company assesses changes in the fair value of the embedded derivative based on the performance of actual cash flows derived from certain royalty rights owned by Enchi , which are expected to be the primary source of funds available to settle the embedded d erivative, relative to the financial forecasts used in the valuation analysis. As at April 2, 2016 , there was no significant change to the expectations related to the royalty rights that would impact the fair value of the embedded derivative.

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventory Disclosure [Text Block]	5 . Inventories April 2, 2016 January 2, 2016 $ $ Raw materials and work-in-process 258,610 276,434 Finished goods 89,287 87,215 Company-owned grain 15,687 14,348 Inventory reserves (6,438) (6,774) 357,146 371,223

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Bank Indebtedness And Long Term Debt [Text Block]	6 . Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt April 2, 2016 January 2, 2016 $ $ Bank indebtedness: Global Credit Facility (1) 199,555 - North American credit facilities (1) - 70,563 European credit facilities (1) - 87,419 Bulgarian credit facility (2) 2,889 1,791 202,444 159,773 Long-term debt: Second Lien Loan Agreement, net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $4,757 (January 2, 2016 - $7,757) (3) 305,242 312,243 Capital lease obligations 9,378 9,245 Other 1,517 1,507 316,137 322,995 Less: current portion 2,226 1,773 313,911 321,222 (1) Global Credit Facility On February 11, 2016, the Company entered into a five-year credit agreement for a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $350.0 million, subject to borrowing base capacity (the “Global Credit Facility”). The Global Credit Facility replaced the Company’s previous North American credit facilities that were set to expire January 27, 2017, and its European credit facilities that were due on dem and with no set maturity date. The Global Credit Facility will be used to support the working capital and general corporate needs of the Company’s global operations, in addition to funding future strategic initiatives. T he Global Credit Facility also incl udes borrowing capacity available for letters of credit and provides for borrowings on same-day notice, including in the form of swingline loans. Subject to customary borrowing conditions and the agreement of any such lenders to provide such increased com mitments , the Company may request to increase the total lending commitments under the Global Credit Facility to a maximum aggregate principal amount not to exceed $450.0 million. Outstanding principal amounts under the Global Credit Facility are repayable in full on the maturity date of February 10, 2021. Individual borrowings under the Global Credit Facility have terms of six months or less and bear interest based on various reference rates, including prime rate and LIBOR plus an applicable margin. T he applicable margin in the Global Credit Facility ranges from 1.25% to 1.75% for loans bearing interest based on LIBOR and from 0.25% to 0.75% for loans bearing interest based on the prime rate and, in each case, is set quarterly based on average borrowin g availability for the preceding fiscal quarter. The initial margin for the Global Credit Facility was 0.50% with respect to prime rate borrowings and 1.50% with respect to LIBOR borrowings. As at April 2, 2016 , the weighted-average interest rate on the facilities was 2.46 %. The obligations under the Global Credit Facility are guaranteed by substantially all of the Company’s subsidiaries and, subject to certain exceptions, such obligations are secured by first priority liens on substantially all assets of the Company. The Global Credit Facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, the Company’s ability to create liens on assets; sell assets and enter into sale and leaseback transactions; pay di vidends, prepay junior lien and unsecured indebtedness and make other restricted payments; incur additional indebtedness and make guarantees; make investments, loans or advances, including acquisitions; and engage in mergers or consolidations. (2) Bulgarian credit facility On April 19, 2016, a subsidiary of The Organic Corporation (“TOC”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, amended its revolving credit facility agreement dated May 22, 2013, to provide up to €4.5 million to cover the working capital needs of TOC’s Bulgarian operations. The facility is secured by the accounts receivable and inventories of the Bulgarian operat ions and is fully guaranteed by TOC. Interest accrues under the facility based on EURIBOR plus a margin of 2.75%, and borrowings under the facility are repayable in full on April 30, 2017. As at April 2, 2016 , the weighted-average interest rate on the B ulgarian credit facility was 2.75%. (3) Second Lien Loan Agreement On October 9, 2015, SunOpta Foods Inc. (the “Borrower”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company, as guarantors (together with the Company, the “Guarantors”), entered into a second lien loan agreement (the “Second Lien Loan Agreement”) with a group of lenders, pursuant to which the Company borrowed an aggregate principal amount of $330.0 million of term loans. In connection with the Second Lien Loan Agreement, the Comp any incurred $10.8 million of debt issuance costs, which were recorded as a reduction against the principal amount of the borrowings. The net proceeds of the Second Lien Loan Agreement were used to partially fund the Sunrise Acquisition. The Second Lien Loan Agreement is guaranteed by the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries that guarantee the Global Credit Facility , subject to certain exceptions, and is secured on a second-priority basis by security interests on all of the Borrower ’s and Guarantors’ as sets that secure the Global Credit Facility, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens. The term loans made under the Second Lien Loan Agreement on October 9, 2015 (the “Initial Loans”) mature on October 9, 2016. If any Initial Loans remain outs tanding on the maturity date and no bankruptcy or event of default then exists, all Initial Loans then outstanding will automatically convert into term loans (such converted loans, the “Term Loans”), which would mature on October 9, 2022. At the Company’s election, interest on the Initial Loans is initially determined by reference to either: ( i ) LIBOR (subject to a 1.0% per annum floor) plus an applicable margin of 6.0% per annum; or (ii) an alternate base rate specified in the Second Lien Loan Agreement p lus an applicable margin of 5.0%. The applicable margin increases by 0.50% at the end of each three-month period after October 9, 2015 and before October 9, 2016. In each case, the Initial Loans carry a maximum interest rate of 9.5% per annum, and any Te rm Loans will bear interest at 9.5% per annum. Giving effect to the amortization of the debt issuance costs , the effective interest rate on the Initial Loans is estimated to be approximately 1 1.2 % per annum. The Initial Loans may be voluntarily prepaid at par at any time prior to October 9, 2016 and must be prepaid at par upon the incurrence of certain indebtedness, the issuance of certain types of equity and the sale of certain assets. As at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016, the Company had repaid $2 0.0 million and $10.0 million principal amount , respectively, of the Initial Loans . The Second Lien Loan Agreement contains certain customary representations and warranties, customary covenants that restrict the C ompany’s and its restricted subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: incur, assume or permit to exist additional indebtedness (including guarantees thereof); pay dividends or certain other distributions on capital stock or repurchase capital stock or prepay certain indebtedness; incur liens on certain assets; make certain investments; permit certain restrictions on the ability of the restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other payments to the Borrower and Guarantors; engage in transactions w ith affiliates; and sell certain assets or merge or consolidate with or into other companies.

Other Expense (Income), Net

Other Expense (Income), Net	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Other Income And Other Expense Disclosure [Text Block]	7 . Other Expense , Net The components of other expense (income) a re as follows: Quarter ended April 2, 2016 April 4, 2015 $ $ Severance and rationalization costs (1) 2,207 - Product withdrawal and recall costs (2) 1,468 - Fair value of contingent consideration (see note 4) 198 - Business development costs 97 125 Other 8 (21) 3,978 104 (1) Severance and rationalization costs For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , severance and rationalization costs primarily relate to the consolidation of the Company’s frozen fruit processing facilities following the Sunrise Acquisition. In particular, d uring the first quarter of 2016, the Company transferred all production volume from its Buena Park, California facility into Sunrise’s facilities located in Kansas and California. Costs recognized in the first quarter of 2016 include an impairment charge of $1.7 million, mainly related to leasehold improvements at the Buena Park facility. The Company expects to fully vacate the leased Buena Park facility in the second quarter of 2016. (2) Product withdrawal and recall costs For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , the Company recognized estimated costs of $1.0 million associated with the voluntary withdrawal by a customer , in coordination with the Company, of private label orange juice product produced at the Company’s San Bernardino, California premium jui ce facility, due to instances of early spoilage within the prescribed shelf life of the product. In addition, the Company recognized a loss of $0.5 million in the first quarter of 2016 in connection with a voluntary recall of certain sunflower kernel prod ucts that was announced on May 3, 2016 (see note 13 ).

Income tax

Income tax	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	8 . Income Taxes For the quarters ended April 2, 2016 and April 4, 2015 , the Company’s effective tax rate was different from the Company’s statutory Canadian tax rate due to the Company’s annualized mix of earnings by jurisdiction, and the impact of discrete items. The Company recognized a recovery of income tax of $3.1 million, or 25.0% of loss before income taxes, for the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , compared with a provision for income tax of $3.0 million, or 33.9% of earnings before income taxes, for the quarter ended April 4, 2015 . The decrease in the effective tax rate reflects the impact of changes in the jurisdictional mix of earnings, mainly due to lower pre-tax earnings in the U.S., which was the result of higher cash interest costs related to the financing of the Sunrise Acquisition, as well as discrete costs related to business acquisitions, including the acquisition accounting adjustment to Sunrise inventory sold in the period (see note 2 ) and am ortization of debt issuance costs related to the Second Lien Loan Agreement (see note 6 ) , as well as the impact of other discrete items including costs associated with the consolidation of our frozen fruit processing facilities and product withdrawal a nd recall costs (see note 7 ) .

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Earnings Per Share Abstract
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	9 . Earnings Per Share Earnings (loss) per share a re calculated as follows : Quarter ended April 2, 2016 April 4, 2015 Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ (9,663) $ 5,954 Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to SunOpta Inc. (570) (720) Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ (10,233) $ 5,234 Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 85,425,943 67,399,642 Dilutive potential of the following: Employee/director stock options and RSUs - 548,747 Warrants - 319,777 Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 85,425,943 68,268,166 Earnings (loss) per share - basic: - from continuing operations $ (0.11) $ 0.09 - from discontinued operations (0.01) (0.01) $ (0.12) $ 0.08 Earnings (loss) per share - diluted: - from continuing operations $ (0.11) $ 0.09 - from discontinued operations (0.01) (0.01) $ (0.12) $ 0.08 For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , stock options to purchase 2,648,392 ( April 4, 2015  557,628 ) common shares were excluded from the calculation of potential dilutive common shares due to their anti-dilutive effect .

Supplemental Cash Flow Informat

Supplemental Cash Flow Information	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Cash Flow Supplemental Disclosures [Text Block]	10 . Supplemental Cash Flow Information Quarter ended April 2, 2016 April 4, 2015 $ $ Changes in non-cash working capital, net of businesses acquired: Accounts receivable (16,837) (4,669) Inventories 9,867 (9,674) Income tax recoverable 1,031 (1,486) Prepaid expenses and other current assets (2,313) (5,423) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (18,170) (5,194) Customer and other deposits (1,063) 4,246 (27,485) (22,200)

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	11 . Commitments and Contingencies Plum Dispute Plum, PBC , a Delaware public benefit corporation (“Plum”), and SunOpta Global Organic Ingredients, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“ SGOI ”), are parties to a manufacturing and packaging agreement dated September 21, 2011 (the “Plum Manufacturing Agreement”). Pursuant to the Plum Manufacturing Agreement, SGOI agreed to manufacture and package certain food items for Plum at SGOI’s Allentown, Pennsylvania facility in accordance with Plum’s specifications regarding, among othe r things, product ingredients and packaging, manufacturing processes, and quality control standards. On November 8, 2013, Plum initiated a voluntary recall of certain products manufactured by SGOI at its Allentown facility. On February 3, 2015, Plum filed a complaint against SGOI in the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown, Pennsylvania. On April 13, 2015, Plum filed an amended complaint adding packaging manufacturer and supplier Cheer Pack North America (“ CPNA ”) as a Defendant. SGOI has asserte d counterclaims against Plum, crossclaims against CPNA and third-party claims against Gualapack S.p.A, Hosokawa Yoko, Co., Secure HY Packaging Co., Ltd. and CDF Corporation. CPNA has asserted cross-claims against SGOI . Plum alleges it initiated the recall in response to consumer complaints of bloated packaging and premature spoilage of certain products, which could lead to gastrointestinal symptoms and discomfort if consumed. Plum alleges that the spoilage of its products resulted from a post-processing iss ue at SGOI’s Allentown facility. Plum is seeking unspecified damages equal to the direct costs of the recall and handling of undistributed product, incidental and consequential damages, lost profits and attorneys’ fees. The Company dispute s the allegations made by Plum against SGOI and intend s to vigorously defend itself against these claims; however, the Company cannot reasonably predict the outcome of this claim, nor can it estimate the amount of loss, or range of loss, if any, that may result from this c laim. Employment Matter On April 19, 2013, a class-action complaint, in the case titled De Jesus, et al. v. Frozsun , Inc. d/b/a Frozsun Foods , was filed against Sunrise Growers, Inc. (then named Frozsun , Inc.) in California Superior Court, Santa Barbara County seeking damages, equitable relief and reasonable attorneys’ fees for alleged wage and hour violations. This case includes claims for failure to pay all hours worked, failure to pay ove rtime wages, meal and rest period violations, waiting-time pe nalties, improper wage statements and unfair business practices. The putative class includes approximately 4,000 to 4,500 non-exempt hourly employees from Sunrise’s production facilities in Santa Maria and Oxnard, California. The parties are currently enga ged in pre-class certification discovery. The Company is unable to estimate any potential liabilities relating to this proceeding, and any such liabilities could be material. Other Claims In addition, various claims and potential claims arising in the no rmal course of business are pending against the Company. It is the opinion of management that these claims or potential claims are without merit and the amount of potential liability, if any, to the Company is not determinable. Management believes the fina l determination of these claims or potential claims will not materially affect the financial position or results of the Company.

Segmented Information

Segmented Information	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]	12 . Segmented Information In connection with the definitive agreement for the sale of Opta Minerals, the Company recognized Opta Minerals as a discontinued operation held for sale as at April 2, 2016 and January 2, 2016 (see notes 1 and 3 ). Prior to being recognized as a discontinued operation, Opta Minerals was reported as a standalone operating segment within the Company. With the recognition of Opta Minerals as a discontinued operation, the composition of the Company’s remaining repor table segments is as follows: Global Ingredients aggregates our North American-based Raw Material Sourcing and Supply and European-based International Sourcing and Supply operating segments focused on the procurement and sale of specialty and organic gra ins and seeds, raw material ingredients, value-added grain- and cocoa-based ingredients, and organic commodities. Consumer Products consists of three main commercial platforms: Healthy Beverages, Healthy Fruit and Healthy Snacks. Healthy Beverages includ es aseptic packaged products including non-dairy and dairy beverages, broths and teas; refrigerated premium juices; and shelf-stable juices and functional waters. Healthy Fruit includes IQF fruits for retail; IQF and bulk frozen fruit for foodservice; and custom fruit preparations for industrial use. Healthy Snacks includes fruit snacks; nutritional and protein bars; and re-sealable pouch products. In addition, Corporate Services provides a variety of management, financial, information technology, treasu ry and administration services to each of the SunOpta Foods operating segments from the Company’s headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario and administrative office in Edina, Minnesota. When reviewing the operating results of the Company’s operating segments, management uses segment revenues from external customers and segment operating income to assess performance and allocate resources. Segment operating income excludes other income/expense items and goodwill impairment losses. In addition, interest expens e and income amounts, and provisions for income taxes are not allocated to the operating segments. Quarter ended April 2, 2016 Global Consumer Ingredients Products Consolidated $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 146,022 206,292 352,314 Segment operating income (loss) 6,441 (1,778) 4,663 Corporate Services (2,028) Other expense, net (3,978) Interest expense, net (11,022) Loss from continuing operations before income taxes (12,365) Quarter ended April 4, 2015 Global Consumer Ingredients Products Consolidated $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 155,057 118,892 273,949 Segment operating income 8,981 2,560 11,541 Corporate Services (1,590) Other expense, net (104) Interest expense, net (927) Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes 8,920

Subsequent Events

Subsequent Events	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events [Text Block]	13 . Subsequent Events Recall of Certain Sunflower Kernel Products On May 3, 2016, the Company announced a voluntary recall of certain sunflower kernel products produced at its Crookston, Minnesota facility due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. For the quarter ended April 2, 2016, the Company recognized a loss of $0. 5 million related to this recall, reflecting the cost of the affected sunflower kerne l products expected to be returned to or replaced by the Co mpany . The Company expects to record additional costs related to this recall subsequent to the quarter ended April 2, 2016, including costs to reimburse customers for the costs related to the recall of their retail products that contain the affected sunfl ower kernels as an ingredient or component ; costs incurred in connection with the ongoing investigation of the extent and root cause of the contamination and costs associated with the interruption of production at the Crookston facility. T he Company conti nues to work with its customers to ensure all affected products are removed from the marke t. As of the filing date of this report, the Company is unable to estimate the amount of additional costs that it may incur in connection with the recall of these products. In addition, the Company is currently unable to estimate the impact of this recall on the Company’s future sales of sunflower kernel products or on its relationships with its customers. The Company carries product recall insur ance and business interruption insurance and will seek to recover a portion of the recall-related costs through its insurance policies. To the extent the Company is able to recover costs related to the recall through its insurance policies, such recoveries will be recorded in the period in which the recoveries are determined to be probable of realization. However, the Company cannot guarantee that it will be able to recover amounts through insurance or the extent of any such recoveries. Settlement of Niag ara Natural Contingent Consideration Obligation On May 5 , 2016, the Company and the owners of Niagara Natural entered into an agreement to settle the contingent consideration obligation related to the acquisition of Niagara Natural (see note 2) in exchang e for a one-time cash payment of $0.6 million. In the second quarter of 2016, the Company expects to recognize a gain of approximately $1.7 million in connection with th is settlement , based on the difference between the fair value of the contingent consideration obligation of $2.3 million as a t April 2, 2016 and the cash payment.

Accounting Policies (Policy)

Accounting Policies (Policy)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting [Text Block]	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 fina ncial 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 nor mal, recurring nature. Operating results for the quarter ended April 2, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2016 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 January 2, 2016 . For further informat ion, 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 January 2, 2016 .
New Accounting Pronouncements Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ ASU ”) 2016-09, “Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”, which is intended to simplify the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, the classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and the classification on the statement of cash flows. Under the new guidance, companies will record excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement rather than in ad ditional paid-in capital. In addition, the guidance permits companies to elect to recognize forfeitures of share-based payments as they occur, rather than estimating the number of awards expected to be forfeited as is currently required. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issue d ASU 2016-02, “Leases”, a comprehensive new standard that amends various aspects of existing accounting guidance for leases, including the recognition of a right of use asset and a lease liability for leases with a duration of greater than one year. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated fina ncial statements; however, the Company anticipates that upon adoption of the standard it will recognize additional assets and corresponding liabilities related to leases on its balance sheet. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instru ments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. ASU 2016-01 will require equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The guidance provides a new measurement alternative for equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values and do not qualify for the net asset practical expedient. Under this alternative, these investments can be measured at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment with the same issuer. Additionally, ASU 2016-01 also changes certain disclosure requirements and other aspects of current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-01 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, which will supersede existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. Under the new standard, a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, which defers by one year the effective date of ASU 2014-09. In addition, in March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, an amendment to clarify the implementation guidance around considerations whether an entity is a principal or an agent, impacting whether an entity reports revenue on a gross or net basis, and, in April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, an amendment to clarify guidance on identifying performance obligations and the implementation guidance on licensi ng of intellectual property. ASU 2014-09, as amended, will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017, and is to be applied on either a full retrospective or modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitt ed only as of annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Business Acquisition (Tables)

Business Acquisition (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Business Acquisitions, by Acquisition [Table Text Block]	The following table summarizes the preliminary estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as at the acquisition date . $ Cash and cash equivalents 1,728 Accounts receivable (1) 26,090 Inventories (2) 124,829 Income taxes recoverable 12,025 Other current assets 3,982 Property, plant and equipment (3) 46,068 Intangible assets (4) 170,000 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (24,169) Long-term debt, including current portion (7,620) Deferred income taxes, net (75,193) Net identifiable assets acquired 277,740 Goodwill (5) 196,709 Non-controlling interest (6) (1,781) Net assets acquired 472,668 On August 11, 2015, the Company acquired the net operating assets of Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. (“Niagara Natural”). Niagara Natural is a manufacturer of all-natural fruit snacks located in the Niagara Region of Ontario. The acquisition of the net operating assets of Niagara Natural has been accounted for as a business combination under the acquisition method of accounting. The results of Niagara Natural have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition and are reported in the Consumer Products operating segment. The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of the consideration transferred as at the acquisition date: $ Cash 6,475 Preliminary working capital adjustment 237 Contingent consideration (1) 2,330 Total consideration transferred 9,042 The following table summarizes the preliminary estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liab ilities assumed as at the acquisition date, which are subject to change pending finalization of the working capital adjustment. The Company expects to finalize these amoun t s no later than one year from the acquisition date. $ Current assets 2,220 Machinery and equipment 3,414 Intangible assets (1) 2,459 Current liabilities (687) Net identifiable assets acquired 7,406 Goodwill (2) 1,636 Net assets acquired 9,042 The following table summarizes the fair values of the consideration transferred as at the acquisition date: $ Cash 13,300 Working capital adjustment (319) Settlement of pre-existing relationship 749 Contingent consideration (1) 18,000 Total consideration transferred 31,730 The following table summarizes the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as at the acquisition date . $ Accounts receivable 2,351 Inventories 1,745 Machinery and equipment 164 Customer relationships intangible asset (1) 14,000 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (1,666) Net identifiable assets acquired 16,594 Goodwill (2) 15,136 Net assets acquired 31,730

Discontinued Operations (Tables

Discontinued Operations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Schedule of Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures [Table Text Block]	The following table reconciles the major classes of assets and liabilities of Opta Minerals to the amounts reported as held for sa le: April 2, 2016 January 2, 2016 $ $ Cash and cash equivalents 1,288 1,707 Accounts receivable 14,355 14,676 Inventories 22,789 25,869 Property, plant and equipment 16,531 16,019 Intangible assets 13,354 13,194 Other assets 1,370 3,380 Loss recognized on classification as held for sale (9,955) (10,515) Total assets held for sale 59,732 64,330 Bank indebtedness 12,353 12,107 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 9,100 9,634 Long-term debt 26,324 25,858 Other liabilities 820 4,887 Total liabilities held for sale 48,597 52,486 The following table reconciles the major components of the results of discontinued operations to the amounts reported in the consolidated statements of operations : Quarter ended April 2, 2016 (1) April 4, 2015 $ $ Revenues 24,896 29,457 Cost of goods sold (2) (22,133) (25,735) Selling, general and administrative expenses (3,024) (2,973) Intangible asset amortization - (505) Other income (expense), net (3) (794) 70 Foreign exchange loss (454) (763) Interest expense (484) (896) Loss before income taxes (1,993) (1,345) Gain on classification as held for sale before income taxes 560 - Total pre-tax loss from discontinued operations (1,433) (1,345) Recovery of income taxes 599 264 Loss from discontinued operations (834) (1,081) Loss from discontinued operations attributable to non-controlling interest 264 361 Loss from discontinued operations attributable to SunOpta Inc. (570) (720)

Derivative Financial Instrume24

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]	April 2, 2016 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ (a) Commodity futures and forward contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 503 73 430 - Unrealized long-term derivative asset 4 - 4 - Unrealized short-term derivative liability (957) - (957) - Unrealized long-term derivative liability (25) - (25) - (b) Inventories carried at market (2) 6,841 - 6,841 - (c) Forward foreign currency contracts (3) (848) - (848) - (d) Contingent consideration (4) (21,208) - - (21,208) (e) Embedded derivative (5) 3,409 - - 3,409 January 2, 2016 Fair value asset (liability) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 $ $ $ $ (a) Commodity futures and forward contracts (1) Unrealized short-term derivative asset 748 - 748 - Unrealized long-term derivative asset 21 - 21 - Unrealized short-term derivative liability (1,417) (10) (1,407) - Unrealized long-term derivative liability (36) - (36) - (b) Inventories carried at market (2) 5,945 - 5,945 - (c) Forward foreign currency contracts (3) 311 - 311 - (d) Contingent consideration (4) (21,010) - - (21,010) (e) Embedded derivative (5) 3,409 - - 3,409
Schedule of Notional Amounts of Outstanding Derivative Positions [Table Text Block]	Number of bushels purchased (sold) Corn Soybeans Forward commodity purchase contracts 554 524 Forward commodity sale contracts (419) (660) Commodity futures contracts (300) (190)
Schedule Of Business Acquisitions By Acquisition Contingent Consideration [Table Text Block]	January 2, 2016 Fair Value April 2, 2016 Issuances Adjustments (1) Payments $ $ $ $ $ Contingent consideration (21,010) - (198) - (21,208)

Inventories (Tables)

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]	April 2, 2016 January 2, 2016 $ $ Raw materials and work-in-process 258,610 276,434 Finished goods 89,287 87,215 Company-owned grain 15,687 14,348 Inventory reserves (6,438) (6,774) 357,146 371,223

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te26

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Short-term Debt [Abstract]
Schedule Of Line Of Credit Facilities And Long Term Debt [Table Text Block]	April 2, 2016 January 2, 2016 $ $ Bank indebtedness: Global Credit Facility (1) 199,555 - North American credit facilities (1) - 70,563 European credit facilities (1) - 87,419 Bulgarian credit facility (2) 2,889 1,791 202,444 159,773 Long-term debt: Second Lien Loan Agreement, net of unamortized debt issuance costs of $4,757 (January 2, 2016 - $7,757) (3) 305,242 312,243 Capital lease obligations 9,378 9,245 Other 1,517 1,507 316,137 322,995 Less: current portion 2,226 1,773 313,911 321,222

Other Expense (Income), Net (Ta

Other Expense (Income), Net (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Schedule of Other Income And Other Expense Disclosure [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended April 2, 2016 April 4, 2015 $ $ Severance and rationalization costs (1) 2,207 - Product withdrawal and recall costs (2) 1,468 - Fair value of contingent consideration (see note 4) 198 - Business development costs 97 125 Other 8 (21) 3,978 104

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Earnings Per Share Abstract
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended April 2, 2016 April 4, 2015 Earnings (loss) from continuing operations attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ (9,663) $ 5,954 Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to SunOpta Inc. (570) (720) Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. $ (10,233) $ 5,234 Basic weighted-average number of shares outstanding 85,425,943 67,399,642 Dilutive potential of the following: Employee/director stock options and RSUs - 548,747 Warrants - 319,777 Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 85,425,943 68,268,166 Earnings (loss) per share - basic: - from continuing operations $ (0.11) $ 0.09 - from discontinued operations (0.01) (0.01) $ (0.12) $ 0.08 Earnings (loss) per share - diluted: - from continuing operations $ (0.11) $ 0.09 - from discontinued operations (0.01) (0.01) $ (0.12) $ 0.08

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform29

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended April 2, 2016 April 4, 2015 $ $ Changes in non-cash working capital, net of businesses acquired: Accounts receivable (16,837) (4,669) Inventories 9,867 (9,674) Income tax recoverable 1,031 (1,486) Prepaid expenses and other current assets (2,313) (5,423) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (18,170) (5,194) Customer and other deposits (1,063) 4,246 (27,485) (22,200)

Segmented Information (Tables)

Segmented Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]	Quarter ended April 2, 2016 Global Consumer Ingredients Products Consolidated $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 146,022 206,292 352,314 Segment operating income (loss) 6,441 (1,778) 4,663 Corporate Services (2,028) Other expense, net (3,978) Interest expense, net (11,022) Loss from continuing operations before income taxes (12,365) Quarter ended April 4, 2015 Global Consumer Ingredients Products Consolidated $ $ $ Segment revenues from external customers 155,057 118,892 273,949 Segment operating income 8,981 2,560 11,541 Corporate Services (1,590) Other expense, net (104) Interest expense, net (927) Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes 8,920

Description of Business and S31

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Basis Of Presentation Fiscal Year End And New Accounting Pronouncements Disclosure [Abstract]
Operating Cycle	The fiscal year of the Company consists of a 52- or 53-week period ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Fiscal year 2016 is a 52-week period ending on December 31, 2016, with quarterly periods ending on April 2, July 2 and October 1, 2016. Fiscal year 2015 was a 52-week period ending on January 2, 2016, with quarterly periods ending on April 4, July 4 and October 3, 2015.
Year Founded	1,973
Opta Minerals Inc [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent	66.00%

Business Acquisition (Citrusour

Business Acquisition (Citrusource, Niagara, Sunrise - Sunrise Holdings Narrative) (Details) - Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Oct. 09, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity	Sunrise Growers, Inc.
Business Acquisition, Description Of Acquired Entity	Sunrise is a processor of conventional and organic individually quick frozen (“IQF”) fruit in the U.S. and Mexico.
Business Acquisition		Oct. 9, 2015
Total consideration		$ 472.7
Component Of Total Consideration Credit Facility		171.5
Business Combination Component Of Total Consideration Stock Options		23
Business Combination Component Of Total Consideration Acquisition Costs		$ 20.9

Business Acquisition (Citruso33

Business Acquisition (Citrusource, Niagara, Sunrise - Sunrise Holdings Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015	Oct. 09, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 242,047	$ 241,690
Business Combination, Narrative Disclosure for Sunrise [Abstract]
Acquisition accounting adjustment on inventory sold	7,626		$ 0
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents				$ 1,728
Accounts receivables				26,090
Inventories				124,829
Income taxes recoverable				12,025
Prepaid Expense and Other Assets				3,982
Property, plant and equipment				46,068
Intangible Assets				170,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities				(24,169)
Long-term debt, including current portion				(7,620)
Deferred income taxes, net				(75,193)
Total consideration/Net identifiable assets acquired (liabilities assumed)				277,740
Goodwill				196,709
Non-controlling interest				(1,781)
Net assets acquired (liabilities assumed)				472,668
Business Combination Acquired Receivables [Abstract]
Business Combination Acquired Receivables Gross Contractual Amount				26,200
Estimated Uncollectible				200
Business Combination, Narrative Disclosure for Sunrise [Abstract]
Business Combination, Inventory Adjustment Fair Value				19,000
Acquisition accounting adjustment on inventory sold	$ 7,600	$ 4,000
Business Combination, Property, Plant and Equipment Adjustment Fair Value				$ 3,700
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member] | Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Combination, Narrative Disclosure for Sunrise [Abstract]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life				23 years
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member] | Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member] | Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member]
Business Combination, Narrative Disclosure for Sunrise [Abstract]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate				12.00%
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member] | Mexican Subsidiary [Member]
Business Combination, Narrative Disclosure for Sunrise [Abstract]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent				75.00%

Business Acquisition (Citruso34

Business Acquisition (Citrusource, Niagara, Sunrise - Contingent Consideration Transferred) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		7 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Mar. 02, 2015	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015	Aug. 11, 2015	Oct. 09, 2015
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired (Liabilities Assumed), Net [Abstract]
Business Combination Working Capital Adjustment		$ 0	$ 319
Business Combination Settlement of pre-existing relationship		$ 0	$ (749)
Citrusource, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition	Mar. 2, 2015
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	100.00%
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity		Citrusource, LLC
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired (Liabilities Assumed), Net [Abstract]
Cash	$ 13,300
Business Combination Working Capital Adjustment	(319)
Business Combination Settlement of pre-existing relationship	749
Contingent Consideration	18,000
Total Consideration Transferred	$ 31,730
Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition				Aug. 11, 2015
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity		Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc.
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired (Liabilities Assumed), Net [Abstract]
Cash				$ 6,475
Business Combination Preliminary Working Capital Adjustment				237
Contingent Consideration				2,330
Total Consideration Transferred				$ 9,042
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired					100.00%
Business Acquisition, Name of Acquired Entity		Sunrise Growers, Inc.
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Assets Acquired (Liabilities Assumed), Net [Abstract]
Total Consideration Transferred					$ 472,700

Business Acquisition (Citruso35

Business Acquisition (Citrusource, Niagara, Sunrise - Preliminary Estimated Fair Value of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		7 Months Ended
		Mar. 02, 2015	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015	Aug. 11, 2015	Jan. 02, 2016	Oct. 09, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill			$ 242,047			$ 241,690
Fair Value of Contingent Consideration			$ (198)	$ 0
Citrusource, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivables		$ 2,351
Inventories		1,745
Property, plant and equipment		164
Customer Relationships Intangible Assets		14,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(1,666)
Total consideration/Net identifiable assets acquired (liabilities assumed)		16,594
Cash		13,300
Goodwill		15,136
Net assets acquired		$ 31,730
Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current Assets					$ 2,220
Property, plant and equipment					3,414
Customer Relationships Intangible Assets	[1]				2,459
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities					(687)
Total consideration/Net identifiable assets acquired (liabilities assumed)					7,406
Cash					6,475
Goodwill	[2]				1,636
Net assets acquired					$ 9,042
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents							$ 1,728
Accounts receivables							26,090
Inventories							124,829
Income taxes recoverable							12,025
Current Assets							3,982
Property, plant and equipment							46,068
Customer Relationships Intangible Assets							170,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							(24,169)
Deferred income tax							(75,193)
Bank indebtedness and long-term debt							(7,620)
Total consideration/Net identifiable assets acquired (liabilities assumed)							277,740
Goodwill							196,709
Non-controlling interest							(1,781)
Net assets acquired							$ 472,668
[1]	Intangible assets comprise customer relationships and non-competition arrangements, which will be amortized over an estimated weighted-average useful life of approximately 19 years.
[2]	The total amount of goodwill has been assigned to the Consumer Products operating segment.

Business Acquisition (Citruso36

Business Acquisition (Citrusource, Niagara, Sunrise - Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		7 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	May. 05, 2016	Mar. 02, 2015	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015	Aug. 11, 2015	Oct. 09, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination Settlement of pre-existing relationship			$ 0	$ (749)
Acquisition-related transaction costs			$ 97	$ 125
Citrusource, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition		Mar. 2, 2015
Business Combination Settlement of pre-existing relationship		$ 749
Buisness Combination, Earn-out on Incremental Growth, Percent		25.00%
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Maximum Unlimited			with no upper limit to the amount of each of the components
Contingent Consideration		$ 18,000
Business Combination, Deferred Contingent Consideration		15,000
Business Combination, Deferred Earn-out Payable, Non-current		3,000
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Liability Current		4,000
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Liability Noncurrent		$ 11,000
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate		3.50%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life		12 years
Business Combination Deferred Earnout Commencing Period			2,016
Business Combination Deferred Earnout Frequency			four equal annual installments
Niagara Natural Fruit Snack Company Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition					Aug. 11, 2015
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High					$ 2,800
Contingent Consideration					$ 2,330
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life					19 years
Payments For Proceeds From Previous Acquisition	$ 600
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination Acquired Receivables Gross Contractual Amount						$ 26,200
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member] | Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life						23 years
Sunrise Growers, Inc. [Member] | Income Approach Valuation Technique [Member] | Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate						12.00%

Discontinued Operations (Narrat

Discontinued Operations (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Impairment Of Long Lived Assets To Be Disposed Of	$ 400
Business Combination Contingent Consideration Arrangements Change In Amount Of Contingent Consideration Liability 1	198	$ 0
Inventory Adjustments	$ 800

Discontinued Operations (Opta M

Discontinued Operations (Opta Minerals Inc Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands, CAD in Millions	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016CAD	Apr. 02, 2016USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2015USD ($)	Jan. 02, 2016USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2016USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		$ (834)	$ (1,081)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to SunOpta Inc		$ (570)	(720)
Opta Minerals Inc [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Description and Timing of Disposal	On February 11, 2016, Opta Minerals entered into a definitive acquisition agreement, pursuant to which Speyside agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Opta Minerals. The acquisition agreement was approved by Opta Minerals’ Boards of Directors, which recommended that Opta Minerals’ shareholders approve the transaction. Also on February 12, 2016, the Company entered into a support agreement pursuant to which it irrevocably agreed to vote all of its Opta Minerals’ shares in favor of the transaction.	On February 11, 2016, Opta Minerals entered into a definitive acquisition agreement, pursuant to which Speyside agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Opta Minerals. The acquisition agreement was approved by Opta Minerals’ Boards of Directors, which recommended that Opta Minerals’ shareholders approve the transaction. Also on February 12, 2016, the Company entered into a support agreement pursuant to which it irrevocably agreed to vote all of its Opta Minerals’ shares in favor of the transaction.
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		$ (834)	(1,081)	$ (10,500)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to SunOpta Inc		(570)	$ (720)	(7,700)
Fair Value of Assets Acquired				$ 4,500
Opta Minerals Inc [Member] | Subordinated Promissory Note
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Stated Percentage	2.00%				2.00%
Opta Minerals Inc [Member] | USD
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration					$ 4,800
Discontinued Operation Amount Of Cash Consideration On Sale		3,200
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to SunOpta Inc		600
Sale of business costs		800
Discontinued Operations, reduction in net proceeds on sale of business		500
Change in carry value of assets held for sale		1,100
Opta Minerals Inc [Member] | USD | Subordinated Promissory Note
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Discontinued Operation Amount of Subordinated Promissory Note on Sale		$ 1,600
Opta Minerals Inc [Member] | CAD
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration | CAD	CAD 6.2
Discontinued Operation Amount Of Cash Consideration On Sale | CAD	4.2
Opta Minerals Inc [Member] | CAD | Subordinated Promissory Note
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Discontinued Operation Amount of Subordinated Promissory Note on Sale | CAD	CAD 2

Discontinued Operations (Opta39

Discontinued Operations (Opta Minerals Inc Major Classes of Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - Opta Minerals Inc [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets [Abstract]
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 1,288	$ 1,707
Accounts receivables	14,355	14,676
Inventories	22,789	25,869
Property, Plant and Equipment	16,531	16,019
Intangible Assets	13,354	13,194
Other assets	1,370	3,380
Loss recognized on classification as held for sale	(9,955)	(10,515)
Total assets held for sale	59,732	64,330
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Liabilities [Abstract]
Bank Indebtedness	12,353	12,107
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities	9,100	9,634
Long-term Debt	26,324	25,858
Other Liabilities	820	4,887
Total liabilities held for sale	$ 48,597	$ 52,486

Discontinued Operations (Operat

Discontinued Operations (Operating results) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015	Jan. 02, 2016
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain on classification as held for sale	$ 560	$ 0
Recovery of income taxes during phase out	599	264
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(834)	(1,081)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to non-controlling interests	264	361
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to SunOpta Inc	(570)	(720)
Opta Minerals Inc [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Revenues from discontinued operations	24,896	29,457
Costs of Goods Sold	(22,133)	(25,735)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(3,024)	(2,973)
Intangible Asset Amortization	0	(505)
Other Expense, net	(794)	0
Other Income, net	0	70
Foreign exchange gain (loss)	(454)	(763)
Interest Expense	(484)	(896)
Earning (loss) before income tax	(1,993)	(1,345)
Gain on classification as held for sale	560	0
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax	(1,433)	(1,345)
Recovery of income taxes during phase out	599	264
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(834)	(1,081)	$ (10,500)
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to non-controlling interests	264	361
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to SunOpta Inc	$ (570)	$ (720)	$ (7,700)

Derivative Financial Instrume41

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2015USD ($)	Apr. 15, 2016USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2016EUR (€)bulots	Apr. 02, 2016USD ($)bulots	Jan. 02, 2016USD ($)	Aug. 29, 2014USD ($)	Aug. 05, 2011USD ($)
Business Acquisition Contingent Consideration [Rollforward]
Fair Value of Contingent Consideration	$ (198)	$ 0
Enchi Corporation [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Investment Owned At Cost					$ 200		$ 900	$ 500
Repayment of investment owned at cost			$ 700
Enchi Corporation [Member] | Convertible Subordinated Debt [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Investment, Embedded Accelarated Payment Option					5,100
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Business Acquisition Contingent Consideration [Rollforward]
Beginning Balance - Contingent Consideration	(21,010)
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred	0
Payments For Proceeds From Previous Acquisition	0
Fair Value of Contingent Consideration	(198)
Ending Balance - Contingent Consideration	(21,208)
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Enchi Corporation [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Embedded Derivative, Fair Value of Embedded Derivative, Net					$ 3,400	$ 3,400
Corn [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market Unit | bu				280,161	280,161
Soybean [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market Unit | bu				379,914	379,914
Future And Forward Contracts [Member] | Cocoa [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount | lots				1	1
Future And Forward Contracts [Member] | Coffee [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount | lots				6	6
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Net	200	100
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Unrealized Gain Loss On Foreign Currency Derivatives Net Before Tax	$ (1,200)	$ 400
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | USD
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount					$ 30,200
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | EUR
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount | €				€ 27.2

Derivative Financial Instrume42

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis ) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market			$ 0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent Consideration		$ (21,208)	(21,010)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market	[1]	6,841	5,945
Contingent Consideration	[2]	(21,208)	(21,010)
Embedded Derivative	[3]	3,409	3,409
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability Notional Amount	[4]	(848)
Derivative Asset Notional Amount	[4]		311
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Short [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	503	748
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	(957)	(1,417)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Long [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	4	21
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	(25)	(36)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market	[1]	0
Contingent Consideration	[2]	0	0
Embedded Derivative	[3]	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability Notional Amount	[4]	0
Derivative Asset Notional Amount	[4]		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Short [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	73	0
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	0	(10)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Long [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	0	0
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market	[1]	6,841	5,945
Contingent Consideration	[2]	0	0
Embedded Derivative	[3]	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability Notional Amount	[4]	(848)
Derivative Asset Notional Amount	[4]		311
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Short [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	430	748
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	(957)	(1,407)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Long [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	4	21
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	(25)	(36)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Inventories Carried At Market	[1]	0	0
Contingent Consideration	[2]	(21,208)	(21,010)
Embedded Derivative	[3]	3,409	3,409
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Foreign Exchange Forward [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Liability Notional Amount	[4]	0
Derivative Asset Notional Amount	[4]		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Short [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	0	0
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Long [Member] | Future And Forward Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Unrealized Derivative Asset	[5]	0	0
Unrealized Derivative Liability	[5]	$ 0	$ 0
[1]	Inventories carried at market are included in inventories on the consolidated balance sheets.
[2]	Contingen t consideration obligations are included in long-term liabilities (including the current portion thereof) on the consolidated balance sheets.
[3]	The embedded derivative is included in other assets (long-term) on the consolidated balance sheets.
[4]	The forward foreign currency contracts are included in accounts receivable or accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
[5]	Unrealized short-term derivative asset is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets, unrealized long-term derivative asset is included in other assets, unrealized short-term derivative liability is included in other current liabilities and unrealized long-term derivative liability is included in long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.

Derivative Financial Instrume43

Derivative Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Notional Amounts) (Details) - Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] bu in Thousands	Apr. 02, 2016bu
Future And Forward Purchase Contracts [Member] | Corn [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	554
Future And Forward Purchase Contracts [Member] | Soybean [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	524
Future And Forward Sale Contracts [Member] | Corn [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	(419)
Future And Forward Sale Contracts [Member] | Soybean [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	(660)
Future [Member] | Corn [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	(300)
Future [Member] | Soybean [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount	(190)

Inventories (Details)

Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Raw materials and work-in-process	$ 258,610	$ 276,434
Finished goods	89,287	87,215
Company-owned grain	15,687	14,348
Inventory reserves	(6,438)	(6,774)
Total Inventory, Net	$ 357,146	$ 371,223

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te45

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Bank indebtedness Table) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	$ 202,444	$ 159,773
North American Line Of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0	70,563
European Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0	87,419
Bulgarian Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	2,889	1,791
Global Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	$ 199,555	$ 0

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te46

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Long term debt table) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 02, 2016	Jan. 02, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured Long Term Debt	$ 305,242	$ 312,243
Capital Lease Obligations	9,378	9,245
Other Long-term Debt	1,517	1,507
Total Long-term and Current Term Debt	316,137	322,995
Current portion of long-term debt	2,226	1,773
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities, Total	$ 313,911	$ 321,222

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Te47

Bank Indebtedness and Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			4 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Feb. 11, 2016USD ($)	May. 22, 2013	Apr. 02, 2016USD ($)	Jan. 02, 2016USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2015USD ($)	Apr. 19, 2016EUR (€)	Oct. 09, 2015USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Initiation Date	Feb. 11, 2016
Repayment of line of credit facilities			$ 192,677		$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date	Feb. 10, 2021
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding			202,444	$ 159,773
Capital Lease Obligations			9,378	9,245
Secured Long Term Debt			$ 305,242	312,243
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis			LIBOR
Line Of Credit Facility Interest Rate During Period			1.50%
Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis			Prime rate
Line Of Credit Facility Interest Rate During Period			0.50%
USD
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 350,000
Line Of Credit Facility Increase Decrease In Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 100,000
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate			2.46%
North American Line Of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding			$ 0	70,563
European Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding			$ 0	87,419
Maximum [Member] | USD | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.75%
Maximum [Member] | USD | Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.75%
Minimum [Member] | USD | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.25%
Minimum [Member] | USD | Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.25%
Working Capital [Member] | Organic Corporation [Member] | European Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Bulgaria [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Initiation Date		May 22, 2013
Line Of Credit Facility Amendment Date						Apr. 19, 2016
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Apr. 30, 2017
Working Capital [Member] | Organic Corporation [Member] | European Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Bulgaria [Member] | Euro Interbank Offered Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis			EURIBOR
Working Capital [Member] | Organic Corporation [Member] | European Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Bulgaria [Member] | EUR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity | €						€ 4.5
Working Capital [Member] | Organic Corporation [Member] | European Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Bulgaria [Member] | EUR | Euro Interbank Offered Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate						2.75%
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate			2.75%
Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis			The applicable margin increases by 0.50% at the end of each three-month period after October 9, 2015 and before October 9, 2016
Debt Conversion Original Debt Type Of Debt			If any Initial Loans remain outstanding on the maturity date and no bankruptcy or event of default then exists, all Initial Loans then outstanding will automatically convert into term loans (such converted loans, the “Term Loans”), which would mature on October 9, 2022
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate Terms			At the Company’s election, interest on the Initial Loans is initially determined by reference to either: (i) LIBOR (subject to a 1.0% per annum floor) plus an applicable margin of 6.0% per annum; or (ii) an alternate base rate specified in the Loan Agreement plus an applicable margin of 5.0%
Term Loan Facility [Member] | USD
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments Of Debt			$ 10,000	$ 10,000
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage			11.20%
Debt Instrument Gross Issuance Expense							$ 10,800
Secured Long Term Debt							$ 330,000
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Increase Decrease							0.50%
Term Loan Facility [Member] | Minimum [Member] | USD
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Stated Percentage Rate Range Minimum							7.00%
Debt Instrument Interest Rate Stated Percentage Rate Range Maximum							9.50%

Other Expense (Income), Net (48

Other Expense (Income), Net (Table) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016		Apr. 04, 2015
Other Income And Expenses [Abstract]
Severance and other rationalization costs	$ 2,207	[1]	$ 0
Product Withdrawal and recall costs	1,468	[2]	0
Acquisition-related transaction costs	97		125
Fair Value of Contingent Consideration	198		0
Other	8		(21)
Total Other Expense, net	$ 3,978		$ 104
[1]	(1) Severance and rationalization costs For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , severance and rationalization costs primarily relate to the consolidation of the Company’s frozen fruit processing facilities following the Sunrise Acquisition. In particular, d uring the first quarter of 2016, the Company transferred all production volume from its Buena Park, California facility into Sunrise’s facilities located in Kansas and California. Costs recognized in the first quarter of 2016 include an impairment charge of $1.7 million, mainly related to leasehold improvements at the Buena Park facility. The Company expects to fully vacate the leased Buena Park facility in the second quarter of 2016.
[2]	(2) Product withdrawal and recall costs For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , the Company recognized estimated costs of $1.0 million associated with the voluntary withdrawal by a customer , in coordination with the Company, of private label orange juice product produced at the Company’s San Bernardino, California premium jui ce facility, due to instances of early spoilage within the prescribed shelf life of the product. In addition, the Company recognized a loss of $0.5 million in the first quarter of 2016 in connection with a voluntary recall of certain sunflower kernel prod ucts that was announced on May 3, 2016 (see note 13 ).

Other Expense (Income), Net (Na

Other Expense (Income), Net (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016USD ($)
Private Label orange juice product withdrawal [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Product Withdrawal and recall costs	$ 1
Sunflower Kernel Products [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Product Withdrawal and recall costs	$ 0.5

Other Expense (Income), Net (50

Other Expense (Income), Net (Narrative - Restructuring) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016		Apr. 04, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Severance and other rationalization costs	$ 2,207	[1]	$ 0
Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other Restructuring Costs	$ 1,700
[1]	(1) Severance and rationalization costs For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , severance and rationalization costs primarily relate to the consolidation of the Company’s frozen fruit processing facilities following the Sunrise Acquisition. In particular, d uring the first quarter of 2016, the Company transferred all production volume from its Buena Park, California facility into Sunrise’s facilities located in Kansas and California. Costs recognized in the first quarter of 2016 include an impairment charge of $1.7 million, mainly related to leasehold improvements at the Buena Park facility. The Company expects to fully vacate the leased Buena Park facility in the second quarter of 2016.

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Detai

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective Income Tax Rate Continuing Operations	25.00%	33.90%
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ (3,086)	$ 3,021

Earnings Per Share (Narrative)

Earnings Per Share (Narrative) (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	2,648,392	557,628

Earnings Per Share (Table) (Det

Earnings Per Share (Table) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Earnings Per Share Abstract
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	$ (9,663)	$ 5,954
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to SunOpta Inc	(570)	(720)
Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.	$ (10,233)	$ 5,234
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic	85,425,943	67,399,642
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	85,425,943	68,268,166
Earnings (loss) per share - basic
from continuing operations basic	$ (0.11)	$ 0.09
from discontinued operations basic	(0.01)	(0.01)
Earnings Per Share Total	(0.12)	0.08
Earnings (loss) per share - diluted
from continuing operations diluted	(0.11)	0.09
from discontinued operations diluted	(0.01)	(0.01)
Earnings Per Share Diluted Total	$ (0.12)	$ 0.08
Warrant [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Including Options and Restrictive Stock Units	0	319,777
Options and RSU [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Basic, by Common Class, Including Two Class Method [Line Items]
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Including Options and Restrictive Stock Units	0	548,747

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform54

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Accounts receivable	$ (16,837)	$ (4,669)
Inventories	9,867	(9,674)
Income tax recoverable	1,031	(1,486)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(2,313)	(5,423)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(18,170)	(5,194)
Customer and other deposits	(1,063)	4,246
Net cash flows from operations - continuing operations	$ (27,485)	$ (22,200)

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) - Plum [Member] - SunOpta Global Organic Ingredients, Inc [Member]	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Business Contracts, Manufacturing Contract Date	Sep. 21, 2011
Inventory Recall Date	Nov. 8, 2013
Loss Contingency, Lawsuit Filing Date	3-Feb-15
Loss Contingency, Name of Defendant	SunOpta Global Organic Ingredients, Inc
Loss Contingency, Name of Plaintiff	Plum, PBC, a Delaware public benefit corporation (“Plum”)
Loss Contingency, Amended Lawsuit Filing Date	Apr. 13, 2015
Loss Contingency Allegations	Plum filed an amended complaint adding packaging manufacturer and supplier Cheer Pack North America as a Defendant. In the amended complaint, Plum alleges it initiated the recall in response to consumer complaints of spoiled packaging of certain products, which could lead to gastrointestinal symptoms and discomfort if consumed. Plum alleges in its amended complaint that the spoilage of its products resulted from a post-processing issue at SGOI’s Allentown facility.
Loss Contingency Actions Taken By Defendant	SGOI has asserted counterclaims against Plum and cross-claims against Cheer Pack.
Loss Contingency Damages Sought	Plum is seeking unspecified damages equal to the direct costs of the recall and handling of undistributed product, incidental and consequential damages, lost profits and attorneys’ fees.

Segmented Information (Table) (

Segmented Information (Table) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2016	Apr. 04, 2015
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	$ 352,314	$ 273,949
Segment operating income	4,663	11,541
Other income (expense), net	(3,978)	(104)
Interest expense, net	(11,022)	(927)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(12,365)	8,920
Global Ingredients [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	146,022	155,057
Segment operating income	6,441	8,981
Consumer Products [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment revenues from external customers	206,292	118,892
Segment operating income	(1,778)	2,560
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Segment operating income	$ (2,028)	$ (1,590)

Subsequent events (Narrative) (

Subsequent events (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	May. 05, 2016	May. 03, 2016	Apr. 02, 2016		Apr. 04, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Product Withdrawal and recall costs			$ 1,468	[1]	$ 0
Fair Value of Contingent Consideration			$ (198)		$ 0
Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Voluntary Product Recall Date		May 3, 2016
Product Withdrawal and recall costs		$ 500
Fair Value of Contingent Consideration	$ 1,700
Payments For Proceeds From Previous Acquisition	600
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred	$ 2,300
[1]	(2) Product withdrawal and recall costs For the quarter ended April 2, 2016 , the Company recognized estimated costs of $1.0 million associated with the voluntary withdrawal by a customer , in coordination with the Company, of private label orange juice product produced at the Company’s San Bernardino, California premium jui ce facility, due to instances of early spoilage within the prescribed shelf life of the product. In addition, the Company recognized a loss of $0.5 million in the first quarter of 2016 in connection with a voluntary recall of certain sunflower kernel prod ucts that was announced on May 3, 2016 (see note 13 ).