Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions	Oct. 01, 2011	Oct. 02, 2010	Oct. 03, 2009	Sep. 27, 2008
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 716	$ 978	$ 1,004	$ 250
Accounts receivable, net	1,321	1,198
Inventories	2,587	2,274
Other current assets	156	168
Total Current Assets	4,780	4,618
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	3,823	3,674
Goodwill	1,892	1,893	1,917
Intangible Assets	149	166
Other Assets	427	401
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0
Total Assets	11,071	10,752	10,595
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	70	401
Accounts payable	1,264	1,110
Other current liabilities	1,040	1,034
Total Current Liabilities	2,374	2,545
Long-Term Debt	2,112	2,135
Deferred Income Taxes	424	321
Other Liabilities	476	486
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	64
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	5,657	5,166
Noncontrolling Interest	28	35
Total Shareholders' Equity	5,685	5,201	4,431
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	11,071	10,752
TFI Parent [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1	2	0	140
Accounts receivable, net	1	0
Inventories	2	0
Other current assets	62	43
Total Current Assets	66	45
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	37	39
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets	0	0
Other Assets	2,179	2,804
Investment in Subsidiaries	11,396	10,776
Total Assets	13,678	13,664
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	2	317
Accounts payable	8	16
Other current liabilities	5,808	6,044
Total Current Liabilities	5,818	6,377
Long-Term Debt	1,972	2,011
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0
Other Liabilities	231	110
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	5,657	5,166
Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Shareholders' Equity	5,657	5,166
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	13,678	13,664
TFM Parent, Guarantors [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1	2	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	506	2,389
Inventories	926	734
Other current assets	95	49
Total Current Assets	1,528	3,174
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	875	870
Goodwill	881	880
Intangible Assets	31	37
Other Assets	180	101
Investment in Subsidiaries	1,923	1,785
Total Assets	5,418	6,847
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	0	0
Accounts payable	525	421
Other current liabilities	144	168
Total Current Liabilities	669	589
Long-Term Debt	1,198	1,638
Deferred Income Taxes	120	105
Other Liabilities	142	148
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	3,289	4,367
Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Shareholders' Equity	3,289	4,367
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	5,418	6,847
Guarantors [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	414	731	788	35
Accounts receivable, net	656	4,670
Inventories	1,440	1,361
Other current assets	102	27
Total Current Assets	2,612	6,789
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	2,369	2,257
Goodwill	966	967
Intangible Assets	49	53
Other Assets	147	61
Investment in Subsidiaries	769	631
Total Assets	6,912	10,758
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	0	0
Accounts payable	648	608
Other current liabilities	442	335
Total Current Liabilities	1,090	943
Long-Term Debt	916	1,228
Deferred Income Taxes	310	204
Other Liabilities	191	179
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	4,405	8,204
Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Shareholders' Equity	4,405	8,204
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	6,912	10,758
Eliminations, Guarantors [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Other current assets	(133)	(9)
Total Current Assets	(133)	(9)
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets	0	0
Other Assets	(15)	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	(1,760)	(1,607)
Total Assets	(1,908)	(1,616)
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Other current liabilities	(133)	(9)
Total Current Liabilities	(133)	(9)
Long-Term Debt	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	(15)	0
Other Liabilities	0	0
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	(1,760)	(1,607)
Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Shareholders' Equity	(1,760)	(1,607)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	(1,908)	(1,616)
Subtotal, Guarantors [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	415	733	788	35
Accounts receivable, net	1,162	7,059
Inventories	2,366	2,095
Other current assets	64	67
Total Current Assets	4,007	9,954
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	3,244	3,127
Goodwill	1,847	1,847
Intangible Assets	80	90
Other Assets	312	162
Investment in Subsidiaries	932	809
Total Assets	10,422	15,989
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	0	0
Accounts payable	1,173	1,029
Other current liabilities	453	494
Total Current Liabilities	1,626	1,523
Long-Term Debt	2,114	2,866
Deferred Income Taxes	415	309
Other Liabilities	333	327
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	5,934	10,964
Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Shareholders' Equity	5,934	10,964
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	10,422	15,989
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	300	243	216	75
Accounts receivable, net	157	132
Inventories	219	179
Other current assets	54	95
Total Current Assets	730	649
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	542	508
Goodwill	45	46
Intangible Assets	69	76
Other Assets	296	295
Investment in Subsidiaries	319	307
Total Assets	2,001	1,881
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	68	84
Accounts payable	83	65
Other current liabilities	474	526
Total Current Liabilities	625	675
Long-Term Debt	269	118
Deferred Income Taxes	9	12
Other Liabilities	29	49
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	64
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	1,041	928
Noncontrolling Interest	28	35
Total Shareholders' Equity	1,069	963
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	2,001	1,881
Eliminations [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	1	(5,993)
Inventories	0	0
Other current assets	(24)	(37)
Total Current Assets	(23)	(6,030)
Net Property, Plant and Equipment	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets	0	0
Other Assets	(2,360)	(2,860)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(12,647)	(11,892)
Total Assets	(15,030)	(20,782)
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Current debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Other current liabilities	(5,695)	(6,030)
Total Current Liabilities	(5,695)	(6,030)
Long-Term Debt	(2,243)	(2,860)
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0
Other Liabilities	(117)	0
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Tyson Shareholders' Equity	(6,975)	(11,892)
Noncontrolling Interest	0	0
Total Shareholders' Equity	(6,975)	(11,892)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (15,030)	$ (20,782)