SunOpta Completes Acquisition Of Edner Of Nevada, Inc.

TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SunOpta Inc. ("SunOpta" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY) today announced that its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary SunOpta Fruit Group Inc. ("SunOpta Fruit Group") has completed the previously announced acquisition of the assets and business of Edner of Nevada, Inc. ("Edner").

Edner produces a wide variety of nutritious portable foods such as nutrition bars and grains and fruit based snack bars serving the fast growing wholesome and convenient healthy snacks category from its 104,000 square foot facility, located in Carson City, Nevada. The completion of the acquisition of Edner will enable SunOpta to extend the breadth of its healthy snack offerings via the introduction of innovative new products utilizing the capabilities that exist within Edner. 

Steve Bromley, President and Chief Executive Officer of SunOpta Inc. commented, "We are pleased to have closed this acquisition as it expands our capabilities in the rapidly growing healthy convenience category. We look forward to working with the Edner team and welcome them to SunOpta."

About Healthy Fruit Snacks

Healthy Fruit Snacks is an operating division within SunOpta Fruit Group. The division produces natural and organic fruit snacks and operates from a processing facility in Omak, Washington. Its products include all natural fruit bars, ropes, twists and other shapes made primarily from apple puree and coming in a variety of flavors. In the last several years Omak has expanded significantly by adding capacity for an additional 140 million units per year, effectively doubling their throughput.

About SunOpta Inc.

SunOpta Inc. is a leading global company focused on natural, organic and specialty foods and natural health products. The Company specializes in sourcing, processing and packaging of natural and organic food products, integrated from seed through packaged products; with a focus on strategically vertically integrated business models. The Company's core natural and organic food operations focus on value-added grains, fiber and fruit based product offerings, supported by a global infrastructure. The Company has two non-core holdings, a 66.4% ownership position in Opta Minerals Inc. (TSX:OPM), a producer, distributor, and recycler of environmentally friendly industrial materials; and a minority ownership position in Mascoma Corporation, an innovative biofuels company.