SunOpta Inc. announces distribution agreement for Acai fruit pulp

10/11/05 SunOpta Inc. has announced that Organic Ingredients Inc., a division of the SunOpta Fruit Group, has signed an exclusive agreement with Sambazon Acai, a San Clemente, California-based company, for the bulk distribution of organic Acai pulp to food and beverage manufacturers in North America.

Acai is a dark purple berry that is rich in nutrients and grows atop the millions of palm trees in the Brazilian Amazon. The fruit is wild-harvested by local farmers and processed into a fruit pulp which is quick frozen to retain its nutritional properties. Acai berries contain a very high concentration of anthocyanins, the same antioxidants that give red wine its health benefits, as well as generous amounts of protein, fiber, and omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. For those reasons, the Acai fruit has been gaining considerable popularity worldwide.

Sambazon is the global leader in Acai consumer products, wholesale Acai pulp, powder and other Amazon superfoods. Founded in 2000 as the first company to bring the antioxidant-rich Acai berry from the Amazon to North America, Sambazon's mission is to deliver high quality, organic superfood products to the planet. Sambazon's product line of Organic Smoothies, Frozen Smoothie Packs, Ready-to-Blend Concentrates, Acai PowerCapsTM and Acai PowerScoopTM are enjoyed by world-class athletes and health-conscious consumers everywhere. Products are available at major retail stores and juice bars across North America including Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Vitamin Shoppe, Jamba Juice, GNC and Juice It Up! Sambazon has pioneered the first of its kind Fair Trade and Certified Organic supply chain of Acai which benefits thousands of local families and protects the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest through sustainable agriculture.

SunOpta Inc. is an operator of high-growth ethical businesses, focusing on integrated business models in the natural and organic food markets. For the last seven consecutive years, SunOpta was included in Profit magazine's 'Profit 100' list of the 100 fastest growing companies in Canada. The Company has three business units: the SunOpta Food Group, which specializes in sourcing, processing and distribution of natural and organic food products integrated from seed through packaged products; the Opta Minerals Group, a producer, distributor, and recycler of environmentally friendly industrial materials; and the SunOpta BioProcess Group which engineers and markets proprietary steam explosion technology systems for the pulp, bio-fuel and food processing industries. Each of these business units has proprietary products and services that give it a solid competitive advantage in its sector.

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