v2.4.0.8

Segmented information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2013

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]

				December 28, 2013
				Global	Value
				Sourcing	Added	Consumer	SunOpta	Opta	Consol-
				and Supply	Ingredients	Products	Foods	Minerals	idated
				$	$	$	$	$	$
Segment revenues from external customers				529,888	131,157	379,449	1,040,494	141,435	1,181,929
Segment operating income				7,622	7,895	25,224	40,741	6,731	47,472
Corporate Services									(8,390)
Other expense, net(1)									(7,049)
Goodwill impairment(2)									(3,552)
Interest expense, net									(7,860)
Impairment loss on investment									(21,495)
Loss from continuing operations
	before income taxes								(874)
				December 29, 2012
				Global	Value
				Sourcing	Added	Consumer	SunOpta	Opta	Consol-
				and Supply	Ingredients	Products	Foods	Minerals	idated
				$	$	$	$	$	$
Segment revenues from external customers				499,454	123,551	341,408	964,413	126,651	1,091,064
Segment operating income				14,137	7,975	20,799	42,911	10,062	52,973
Corporate Services									(6,001)
Other expense, net									(2,194)
Goodwill impairment
Interest expense, net									(9,333)
Impairment loss on investment
Earnings from continuing operations
	before income taxes								35,445
				December 31, 2011
				Global	Value
				Sourcing	Added	Consumer	SunOpta	Opta	Consol-
				and Supply	Ingredients	Products	Foods	Minerals	idated
				$	$	$	$	$	$
Segment revenues from external customers				490,611	133,429	302,711	926,751	93,120	1,019,871
Segment operating income				11,480	10,205	13,273	34,958	7,577	42,535
Corporate Services									(8,766)
Other income, net(3)									2,832
Goodwill impairment
Interest expense, net									(8,839)
Impairment loss on investment
Earnings from continuing operations
	before income taxes								27,762

				December 28, 2013	December 29, 2012	December 31, 2011
				$	$	$
Segment capital expenditures:
	Global Sourcing and Supply			13,362	10,227	3,105
	Value Added Ingredients			3,666	2,114	1,985
	Consumer Products			11,389	8,891	9,287
		SunOpta Foods		28,417	21,232	14,377
	Opta Minerals			3,100	2,504	4,901
		Total segment capital expenditures		31,517	23,736	19,278
	Corporate Services			574	812	636
		Total capital expenditures		32,091	24,548	19,914
Segment depreciation and amortization:
	Global Sourcing and Supply			6,091	5,115	4,867
	Value Added Ingredients			2,775	2,613	2,454
	Consumer Products			6,475	5,949	5,506
		SunOpta Foods		15,341	13,677	12,827
	Opta Minerals			6,257	5,731	4,207
		Total segment depreciation and amortization		21,598	19,408	17,034
	Corporate Services			801	818	775
		Total depreciation and amortization		22,399	20,226	17,809

Schedule of Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets in Individual Foreign Countries by Country [Table Text Block]

				December 28, 2013	December 29, 2012
				$	$
Segment assets:
	Global Sourcing and Supply			304,826	307,372
	Value Added Ingredients			64,855	61,098
	Consumer Products			167,590	146,705
		SunOpta Foods		537,271	515,175
	Opta Minerals			137,106	141,418
		Total segment assets		674,377	656,593
	Corporate Services			31,558	50,717
		Total assets		705,935	707,310
Segment goodwill:
	Global Sourcing and Supply			27,822	27,533
	Value Added Ingredients			12,030	12,030
	Consumer Products			2,362	2,934
		SunOpta Foods		42,214	42,497
	Opta Minerals			11,459	14,917
		Total segment goodwill		53,673	57,414

				December 28, 2013	December 29, 2012	December 31, 2011
				$	$	$
Revenues from external customers:
	U.S.			903,349	851,172	767,887
	Canada			61,264	59,613	48,771
	Europe and other			217,316	180,279	203,213
		Total revenues from external customers		1,181,929	1,091,064	1,019,871

				December 28, 2013	December 29, 2012
				$	$
Long-lived assets:
	U.S.			121,083	114,614
	Canada			11,896	13,326
	Europe and other			25,094	12,639
		Total long-lived assets		158,073	140,579

X

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of the names of foreign countries in which material long-lived assets other than financial instruments, long-term customer relationships of a financial institution, mortgage and other servicing rights, deferred policy acquisition costs, and deferred tax assets are located, and amount of such long-lived assets located in that country or foreign geographic area.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 280

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 41

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 131

-Paragraph 38

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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X

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of the profit or loss and total assets for each reportable segment. An entity discloses certain information on each reportable segment if the amounts (a) are included in the measure of segment profit or loss reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) are otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in that measure of segment profit or loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=14024403&loc=d3e13816-109267



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 280

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 30

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8906-108599



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 280

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 21

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8721-108599



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 280

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 22

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8736-108599



Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 280

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 25

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e8813-108599



Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 131

-Paragraph 27, 28

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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