SunOpta Announces Agreement with Germany's Mikro-Technik to Expand Fiber Portfolio and North American Distribution

Art McEvily, President of SunOpta Ingredients commented that "Theagreement between SunOpta Ingredients and Mikro-Technik is a strongstep forward in meeting two important strategic goals: thediversification of our fiber portfolio, with varieties other than oat;and increasing the Company's presence in the international arena. Welook forward to working closely with Mikro-Technik to drive sales ofthese unique, functional fibers in the North American food industry."

Christian Bumm, Managing Director of Mikro-Technik commented: "Weare pleased to have established this commercial relationship withSunOpta Ingredients. The collaborative effort will enableMikro-Technik to expand in the food market while allowing us to remainfocused on our core fiber development and manufacturing competencies."

The SunOpta Ingredients Group, an operating unit within theSunOpta Food Group, is a leading supplier of value-added, healthfulingredients to the global food industry with a core focus on ediblefiber products derived from oat, soy and other agricultural rawmaterials. A key component of the Company's growth strategy is toexpand its fiber business globally by leveraging its core competenciesin the development, manufacture, and application of highly functionalfood fibers. This includes the diversification of its productportfolio beyond insoluble oat fibers, penetration of new marketsegments such as pet foods, and acceleration of sales growth ininternational markets.

SunOpta also announced that sales of the internally-developed,proprietary SunOpta Soy Fiber S-200, which was introduced earlier thisyear, are well ahead of expectations. Significant supply agreementshave been reached with several customers including a major industrialbaked goods manufacturer. Due to the strong growth of the Soy FiberS-200 the Group is expanding its production capabilities at its CedarRapids, IA fiber facility via installation of upgraded processingequipment and rationalization of certain product lines with otherSunOpta fiber processing facilities. In addition, sales of oat fiberproducts in both domestic and international markets are growing as theCompany expands its global sales, distribution and supportcapabilities. As a result, capacity is also being increased by severalmillion pounds, or 15%, at SunOpta's Louisville, Kentucky facility.

About SunOpta Inc.

SunOpta Inc. is an operator of high-growth ethical businesses,focusing on integrated business models in the natural and organic foodmarkets. The Company has three business units: the SunOpta Food Group,which specializes in sourcing, processing and distribution of naturaland organic food products integrated from seed through packagedproducts; the Opta Minerals Group, a producer, distributor, andrecycler of environmentally friendly industrial materials; and theSunOpta BioProcess Group which is a world leader in biomass conversiontechnology for producing biofuels and other value added products frombiomass. Each of these business units has proprietary products andservices that give it a solid competitive advantage in its sector.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release may constitute"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United StatesPrivate Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Theseforward-looking statements include, but are not limited to referencesto business strategies, competitive strengths, goals, capitalexpenditure plans, business and operational growth plans andreferences to the future growth of the business. These forward lookingstatements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by theCompany in light of its experience and its interpretation of currentconditions, historical trends and expected future developments as wellas other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in thecircumstance. However, whether actual results and developments willagree with expectations and predications of the Company is subject tomany risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to; generaleconomic, business or market risk conditions; competitive actions byother companies; changes in laws or regulations or policies of localgovernments, provinces and states as well as the governments of UnitedStates and Canada, many of which are beyond the control of theCompany. Consequently all forward-looking statements made herein arequalified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurancethat the actual results or developments anticipated by the Companywill be realized.

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the text above, there is an umlaut above the"u" in "Burgstadt."