Jul 14, 2005 9:43 AM, from staff and wire reports

SunOpta Inc has completed the acquisition of the outstanding shares of Pacific Fruit Processors Inc, based in South Gate CA, a Los Angeles suburb. The undisclosed purchase price includes a combination of cash and notes payable.

Pacific manufactures fruit products with a focus on fruit-based ingredients for the dairy, beverage, and bakery industries. The company operates from a 60,000-square-foot facility that houses conventional and aseptic processing capabilities, dry and frozen warehousing space, and laboratory facilities.

The acquisition of Pacific augments SunOpta’s vertically integrated fruit operations by adding further capabilities to its fruit-based operations. As a result, SunOpta has formed a new operating group, the SunOpta Fruit Group, consisting of the company’s wholly owned subsidiaries Organic Ingredients Inc, Cleugh’s Frozen Foods Inc, and Pacific.