TORONTO, October 25 /CNW/ - SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)(TSX:SOY). SunOpta Ingredients and SunOpta Grains and Foods Group facilities located in Alexandria, Minnesota are being honored at the Alexandria, Minnesota Business and Industrial Appreciation Day (BIAD) on October 27, 2006 as the 2006 winner of the BIAD Award, which recognizes outstanding community involvement. The SunOpta Ingredients facility specializes in custom spray-drying, dry-blending, liquid separation, clarification and fermentation of non-GMO and organic soy and grain based products, employing approximately 85 full-time employees. SunOpta Aseptic, which forms part of the SunOpta Grains and Foods Group, produces organic soymilk and grain based beverages and packages food products referred to as "aseptic" or shelf stable, employing approximately 112 full-time employees. This facility currently processes and packages an average of 2.2 million quarts of aseptic soy and rice products on a weekly basis using raw materials from SunOpta's vertically integrated natural and organic foods operations. SunOpta has invested approximately $9 million in these two facilities over the past three years Steve Bromley, President and Chief Operating Officer, commented "We are extremely pleased to be recognized for our contributions to the Alexandria community and want to thank our approximately 200 employees for their dedication, hard work and commitment to both SunOpta and the community of Alexandria." To view "SunOpta - Ingredients for Success" click the below link. Courtesy of Echo Press, Alexandria, Minnesota." http://www.sunopta.com/uploadedFiles/corporate/Alexandria,%20MN%20 Business%20%26%20Industrial%20Appreciation%20Day%20(BIAD)%20Award% 20%202006%20-%20Tabloid1.pdf (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra spaces if they exist.) 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.