| Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block] |
| | | | | | Quarter ended | | Three quarters ended | | | | | | September 28, 2013 | September 29, 2012 | September 28, 2013 | September 29, 2012 | | Earnings (loss) from continuing operations | | | | | | | | | | | attributable to SunOpta Inc. | $ | 2,913 | $ | 5,692 | $ | (6,883) | $ | 18,648 | | Earnings (loss) from discontinued | | | | | | | | | | | operations, net of income taxes | | - | | 112 | | (360) | | 1,193 | | Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. | $ | 2,913 | $ | 5,804 | $ | (7,243) | $ | 19,841 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Basic weighted-average number of | | | | | | | | | | | shares outstanding | | 66,369,141 | | 65,949,415 | | 66,221,286 | | 65,871,213 | | Dilutive potential of the following: | | | | | | | | | | | Employee/director stock options | | 1,389,346 | | 571,131 | | 1,017,574 | | 525,840 | | | Warrants | | 411,705 | | 171,829 | | 349,820 | | 143,054 | | Diluted weighted-average number of | | | | | | | | | | | shares outstanding | | 68,170,192 | | 66,692,375 | | 67,588,680 | | 66,540,107 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earnings (loss) per share - basic: | | | | | | | | | | | - from continuing operations | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.10) | $ | 0.28 | | | - from discontinued operations | | - | | - | | (0.01) | | 0.02 | | | | | | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.11) | $ | 0.30 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earnings (loss) per share - diluted: | | | | | | | | | | | - from continuing operations | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.10) | $ | 0.28 | | | - from discontinued operations | | - | | - | | (0.01) | | 0.02 | | | | | | $ | 0.04 | $ | 0.09 | $ | (0.11) | $ | 0.30 |
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