Sunopta Inc.TSX: SOY

Murray Burke, Vice President and General Manager of SunOpta's BioProcess Group Speaking at the Platts Cellulosic Ethanol Conference

· Issued by SunOpta Inc. via CNW
TORONTO, October 26 /CNW/ - SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company)
(Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY) today announced that Murray Burke, Vice President and
General Manager of the SunOpta BioProcess Group, will be speaking at the
Platts Cellulosic Ethanol Conference in Chicago on October 31, 2006.
(www.events.platts.com)

Murray Burke will speak on the transition to cellulosic ethanol and the
advantages of cellulosic ethanol versus grain based ethanol. He will discuss
the state of cellulosic ethanol development and confirm that commercial
production of cellulosic ethanol is now possible.

The SunOpta BioProcess Group has been designing, building and optimizing
biomass conversion plants for over thirty years and is currently supplying
equipment and technology to three cellulosic ethanol projects in the U.S.,
Spain and China.

About SunOpta Inc.

SunOpta Inc. is an operator of high-growth ethical businesses, focusing
on integrated business models in the natural and organic food markets. 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.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release may constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to references to business strategies, competitive
strengths, goals, capital expenditure plans, business and operational growth
plans and references to the future growth of the business. These forward
looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the
Company in light of its experience and its interpretation of current
conditions, historical trends and expected future developments as well as
other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstance.
However, whether actual results and developments will agree with expectations
and predications of the Company is subject to many risks and uncertainties
including, but not limited to; general economic, business or market risk
conditions; competitive actions by other companies; changes in laws or
regulations or policies of local governments, provinces and states as well as
the governments of United States and Canada, many of which are beyond the
control of the Company. Consequently all forward-looking statements made
herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no
assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by the Company
will be realized.