| Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block] |
| | | | | December 28, 2013 | December 29, 2012 | December 31, 2011 | | Earnings (loss) from continuing operations | | | | | | | | | attributable to SunOpta Inc. | $ | (8,164) | $ | 22,968 | $ | 16,230 | | Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, | | | | | | | | | net of taxes | | (360) | | 1,256 | | (10,934) | | Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc. | $ | (8,524) | $ | 24,224 | $ | 5,296 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Basic weighted-average number of shares | | | | | | | | | outstanding | | 66,288,147 | | 65,897,969 | | 65,644,372 | | Dilutive potential of the following: | | | | | | | | | Employee/director stock options | | 1,165,133 | | 551,723 | | 705,332 | | | Warrants | | 378,845 | | 161,705 | | 233,445 | | Diluted weighted-average number of shares | | | | | | | | | outstanding | | 67,832,125 | | 66,611,397 | | 66,583,149 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earnings (loss) per share - basic: | | | | | | | | | - from continuing operations | $ | (0.12) | $ | 0.35 | $ | 0.25 | | | - from discontinued operations | | (0.01) | | 0.02 | | (0.17) | | | | | | $ | (0.13) | $ | 0.37 | $ | 0.08 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Earnings (loss) per share - diluted: | | | | | | | | | - from continuing operations | $ | (0.12) | $ | 0.34 | $ | 0.24 | | | - from discontinued operations | | (0.01) | | 0.02 | | (0.16) | | | | | | $ | (0.13) | $ | 0.36 | $ | 0.08 |
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