BALTIMORE, Sept. 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SunOpta Inc. (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY), a leading global company focused on organic, non-genetically modified and specialty foods, will participate in Natural Products Expo East being held in Baltimore, MD from September 17 – 19, 2015. SunOpta will showcase its healthy snack portfolio and organic ingredients, and attendees can sample SunOpta products at booth #2027 in the natural and specialty foods section. In addition, SunOpta will co-host a seminar about the non-GMO Process Verified Program (PVP) certification it received earlier this year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its Hope, Minn. facility. SunOpta's Hope facility was the first food manufacturing facility in the United States to receive the USDA PVP certification and SunOpta intends to expand the PVP standards at more facilities across its vertically integrated platform.
SunOpta will sample select products from its portfolio of healthy and natural consumer packaged goods, including nutrition bars, fruit snacks and roasted snacks. SunOpta recently cemented its position as a leader in the premium healthy fruit snack market with its acquisition of Niagara Natural, a growing and innovative manufacturer of healthy non-GMO and organic fruit snacks based in Ontario, Canada.
On Friday, Sept. 18 at 2:00 p.m., Expo attendees are invited to a seminar including a question and answer session about SunOpta's non-GMO PVP verification from the USDA. Lisa Robinson, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at SunOpta, will be joined by Dr. Craig Morris, Deputy Administrator of the Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program; Agricultural Marketing Service; USDA, to explain the Process Verified Program certification for non-GMO corn and soybeans from SunOpta's facility in Hope. PVP certification indicates SunOpta has implemented the required quality management processes for food safety and transparency, making it possible for SunOpta to label its food-grade soybeans and corn as non-GMO/GE. The seminar will be held in Room 322 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
About SunOpta Inc.
SunOpta Inc. is a leading global company focused on organic, non-genetically modified ("non-GMO") and specialty foods. The Company specializes in the sourcing, processing and packaging of organic and non-GMO food products, integrated from seed through packaged products; with a focus on strategic vertically integrated business models. The Company's organic and non-GMO food operations revolve around value-added grain, seed, fruit and vegetable based product offerings, supported by a global sourcing and supply infrastructure. The Company also holds an approximate 66% ownership position in Opta Minerals Inc. (TSX:OPM), a producer, distributor, and recycler of industrial minerals and silica-free abrasives. Opta Minerals is a non-core holding.
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