Earnings per share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Jan. 02, 2016

Earnings Per Share Abstract

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]

		January 2, 2016		January 3, 2015		December 28, 2013
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations
	attributable to SunOpta Inc.	$	(2,996)	$	19,295	$	(8,396)
Loss from discontinued operations
	attributable to SunOpta Inc.		(19,475)		(6,194)		(128)
Earnings (loss) attributable to SunOpta Inc.		$	(22,471)	$	13,101	$	(8,524)
Basic weighted-average number of shares
	outstanding		72,408,318		66,835,201		66,288,147
Dilutive potential of the following:
	Employee/director stock options		54,316		1,007,596		1,165,133
	Warrants		-		527,850		378,845
Diluted weighted-average number of shares
	outstanding		72,462,634		68,370,647		67,832,125
Earnings (loss) per share - basic:
	- from continuing operations	$	(0.04)	$	0.29	$	(0.13)
	- from discontinued operations		(0.27)		(0.09)		-
		$	(0.31)	$	0.20	$	(0.13)
Earnings (loss) per share - diluted:
	- from continuing operations	$	(0.04)	$	0.28	$	(0.13)
	- from discontinued operations		(0.27)		(0.09)		-
		$	(0.31)	$	0.19	$	(0.13)