Nature’s Touch Acquires Frozen Fruit Operations From SunOpta

Oct. 13, 2023

Transaction includes Sunrise Growers frozen fruit operations in Edwardsville, Kan., and Jacona, Mexico.

SunOpta Inc. has sold certain assets of its Sunrise Growers frozen fruit operation to Nature’s Touch, according to a release from the producer of frozen, organic and conventional fruit. Those assets include frozen fruit operations in Edwardsville, Kan., and Jacona, Mexico. The transaction is valued at $141 million and represents SunOpta's exit from the frozen fruit business.

Sunrise Growers offers premium, affordable frozen food products in the private-label frozen fruit sector in the U.S. and will strengthen Nature’s Touch’s mission to provide high-quality, diverse frozen-food offerings. The acquisition enhances the company’s capacity, efficiency, product diversity and commitment to global standardization of food safety in the frozen fruit retail category, the release states.

Nature’s Touch was founded in 2004 and operates freezing and packaging facilities in Canada and the U.S. — with the States representing a significant growth opportunity for the company. In fact, it recently invested in a new facility in Virginia to attempt to capitalize on that opportunity.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.