SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL; TSX:SOY) announced today that Organic Ingredients Inc., a division of the SunOpta Fruit Group, has signed an exclusive agreement with Sambazon Acai, a San Clemente, California-based company, for the bulk distribution of organic Acai (pronounced: ah-sigh-ee) pulp to food and beverage manufacturers in North America.
Acai is a dark purple berry that is rich in nutrients and grows atop the millions of palm trees in the Brazilian Amazon. The fruit is wild-harvested by local farmers and processed into a fruit pulp which is quick frozen to retain its nutritional properties. Acai berries contain a very high concentration of anthocyanins, the same antioxidants that give red wine its health benefits, as well as generous amounts of protein, fiber, and omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. For those reasons, the Acai fruit has been gaining considerable popularity worldwide.
Jeremy Kendall, Chairman and CEO of SunOpta Inc., stated, “We are pleased to partner with Sambazon Acai to broaden the distribution of this remarkably nutritious food on the North American continent. The addition of Acai to our already extensive line of natural and organically grown foods and food ingredients provides us with another very unique food source that offers a healthy ingredient to our customers. This is one of our core values as a company. SunOpta expects revenue in the first year to be between U.S. $1 and U.S. $1.5 million.”
Ryan Black, CEO and Founder of Sambazon Acai, said, “We look forward to working with the SunOpta Fruit Group to dramatically increase the awareness and appeal of this remarkably nutritious fruit. Sambazon’s sustainable business model allows us to supply this exciting new food to the North American market while helping thousands of native families protect biodiversity in the rainforest while providing a livelihood for their families.”
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