Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Aug. 26, 2012

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Landec have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) have been made which are necessary to present fairly the financial position at November 25, 2012 and the results of operations and cash flows for all periods presented.  Although Landec believes that the disclosures in these financial statements are adequate to make the information presented not misleading, certain information normally included in financial statements and related footnotes prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been condensed or omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The accompanying financial data should be reviewed in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes included in Landec's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 27, 2012.

The results of operations for the six months ended November 25, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for an entire fiscal year because there is some seasonality in Apio’s food business, particularly, Apio’s Food Export business and the order patterns of Lifecore’s customers which may lead to significant fluctuations in Landec’s quarterly results of operations.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements are presented on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and include the accounts of Landec and its subsidiaries, Apio and Lifecore.  All material inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated.

Arrangements that are not controlled through voting or similar rights are reviewed under the guidance for variable interest entities (“VIEs”). A company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities and operations of a VIE if it is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE.

An entity is a VIE and subject to consolidation, if by design: a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by any parties, including equity holders or b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack any one of the following three characteristics: (i) the power, through voting rights or similar rights to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity. The Company reviewed the consolidation guidance and concluded that the non-public companies in which the Company holds equity investments are not VIEs.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make certain estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. The accounting estimates that require management’s most significant and subjective judgments include revenue recognition; sales returns and allowances; recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities; the assessment of recoverability of long-lived assets; the valuation of intangible assets and inventory; the valuation of investments; and the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation.

These estimates involve the consideration of complex factors and require management to make judgments.  The analysis of historical and future trends can require extended periods of time to resolve and is subject to change from period to period.  The actual results may differ from management’s estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company records all highly liquid securities with three months or less from date of purchase to maturity as cash equivalents.  Cash equivalents consist mainly of certificate of deposits (CDs), money market funds and U.S. Treasuries.  The market value of cash equivalents approximates their historical cost given their short-term nature.

Marketable Securities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Marketable Securities

Short-term marketable securities consist of CDs that are FDIC insured and single A or better rated municipal bonds with original maturities of more than three months at the date of purchase regardless of the maturity date as the Company views the funds within its portfolio as available for use in its current operations.  The Company classifies all debt securities with readily determined market values as “available for sale”. The aggregate amount of CDs included in marketable securities at November 25, 2012 and May 27, 2012 was $1.6 million and zero, respectively.  The contractual maturities of the Company’s marketable securities that are due in less than one year represented $1.7 million and zero of its marketable securities as of November 25, 2012 and May 27, 2012, respectively.  The contractual maturities of the Company’s marketable securities that are due in one to two years represented $250,000 and zero of its marketable securities as of November 25, 2012 and May 27, 2012, respectively. Investments in marketable securities are carried at fair market value.  Unrealized gains and losses are reported as a component of stockholders’ equity.  The cost of debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and discounts to maturity.  This amortization is recorded to interest income.  Realized gains and losses on the sale of available-for-sale securities are also recorded to interest income and were not significant for the three and six months ended November 25, 2012 and November 27, 2011.  During the three and six months ended November 25, 2012, the Company did not sell any marketable securities.  During the three and six months ended November 27, 2011, the Company sold $6.8 million of marketable securities.  The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method.

Financial Instruments Policy [Policy Text Block]

Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments are primarily composed of marketable securities, commercial-term trade payables, grower advances, and notes receivable, as well as long-term notes receivables and debt instruments.  For short-term instruments, the historical carrying amount approximates the fair value of the instrument.  The fair value of long-term debt and lines of credit approximates their carrying value.  Fair values for long-term financial instruments not readily marketable are estimated based upon discounted future cash flows at prevailing market interest rates.  Based on these assumptions, management believes the fair market values of the Company’s financial instruments are not materially different from their recorded amounts as of November 25, 2012 or May 27, 2012.

Investment In Non-Public Companies [Policy Text Block]

Investments in Non-Public Companies

The Company’s investment in Aesthetic Sciences Corporation (“Aesthetic Sciences”) is carried at cost and adjusted for impairment losses.   Since there is no readily available market value information, the Company periodically reviews this investment to determine if any other than temporary declines in value have occurred based on the financial stability and viability of Aesthetic Sciences.

On February 15, 2011, the Company made an investment in Windset Holdings 2010 Ltd., a Canadian corporation (“Windset”), which is reported as an investment in non-public company, fair value, in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as of November 25, 2012 and May 27, 2012.  The Company has elected to account for its investment in Windset under the fair value option (see Note 4).

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Intangible Assets

The Company’s intangible assets are comprised of customer relationships with a finite estimated useful life of twelve to thirteen years and trade names and goodwill with indefinite lives.

Finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate that the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) may not be recoverable.  Indefinite lived intangible assets are reviewed for impairment at least annually by comparing the fair value of the asset to its carrying value to determine if there has been an impairment. Goodwill is reviewed for impairment at least annually by comparing the fair value of the related reporting unit to its carrying value to determine if there has been an impairment.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value Measurements

The Company uses fair value measurement accounting for financial assets and liabilities and for financial instruments and certain other items at fair value.  The Company has elected the fair value option for its investment in a non-public company (see Note 4).  The Company has not elected the fair value option for any of its other eligible financial assets or liabilities.

The accounting guidance established a three-tier hierarchy for fair value measurements, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1 – observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level 2 – inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly through corroboration with observable market data.

Level 3 – unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which would require the Company to develop its own assumptions.

As of November 25, 2012, the Company held certain assets and liabilities that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis, including cash equivalents, marketable securities, interest rate swap and liability for contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of GreenLine and its minority interest investment in Windset.

The fair value of the Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities is determined based on observable inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. Therefore, the Company has categorized its cash equivalents and marketable securities as Level 1.

The fair value of the Company’s interest rate swap is determined based on model inputs that can be observed in a liquid market, including yield curves, and is categorized as Level 2 inputs.

The fair value of the Company’s liability for contingent consideration is based on significant inputs not observed in the market and thus represents a Level 3 measurement.  The Company determined the fair value of the liability for the contingent consideration as of May 27, 2012, based on a probability-weighted discounted cash flow analysis, as further discussed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company has elected the fair value option of accounting for its investment in Windset. The fair value of the Company’s investment in Windset utilizes significant unobservable inputs in the discounted cash flow models, including projected cash flows, growth rates and discount rates.  As a result, the Company’s investment in Windset is considered to be a Level 3 measurement investment, as further discussed in Note 4.  The change in the fair market value of the Company’s investment in Windset for the three and six months ended November 25, 2012 was due to the Company’s 20.1% minority interest in the change in the fair market value of Windset during those periods.   In determining the fair value of the investment in Windset, the Company utilizes the following significant unobservable inputs in the discounted cash flow models:

	At November 25, 2012			At May 27, 2012
Revenue growth rates	3%	to	10%	3%	to	24%
Expense growth rates	3%	to	8%	3%	to	18%
Income tax rates	8%	to	25%		25%
Discount rates	16%	to	27%	16%	to	27%

               The revenue growth, expense growth and income tax rate assumptions, consider the Company's best estimate of the trends in those items over the discount period.   The discount rate assumption takes into account the risk-free rate of return, the market equity risk premium and the Company’s specific risk premium and then applies an additional discount for lack of liquidity of the underlying securities.    The discounted cash flow valuation model used by the Company has the following sensitivity to changes in inputs and assumptions (in thousands):

	Impact on value of Windset investment as of November 25, 2012
10% increase in revenue growth rates	$	1,000
10% increase in expense growth rates	$	(600	)
10% increase in income tax rates	$	(100	)
10% increase in discount rates	$	(250	)

Imprecision in estimating unobservable market inputs can affect the amount of gain or loss recorded for a particular position.  The use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when the earnings process is complete, as evidenced by an agreement with the customer, transfer of title, and acceptance, if applicable, as well as fixed pricing and probable collectibility.  The Company records pricing allowances, including discounts based on arrangements with customers, which is recognized in revenue as a reduction to both accounts receivable and net revenue.

When a sales arrangement contains multiple elements, the Company allocates revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy.  The relative selling price for a deliverable is based on its vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE), if available, third-party evidence (TPE), if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price if neither VSOE nor TPE is available.  The Company then recognizes revenue on each deliverable in accordance with its policies for product and service revenue recognition.  The Company is ot typically able to determine VSOE or TPE, and therefore, uses estimated selling prices to allocate revenue between the elements of the arrangement.

The Company limits the amount of revenue recognition for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services or future performance obligations or subject to customer-specific cancellation rights. The Company evaluates each deliverable in an arrangement to determine whether they represent separate units of accounting. A deliverable constitutes a separate unit of accounting when it has stand-alone value, and for an arrangement that includes a general right of return relative to the delivered products or services, delivery or performance of the undelivered product or service is considered probable and is substantially controlled by the Company.  The Company considers a deliverable to have stand-alone value if the product or service is sold separately by the Company or another vendor or could be resold by the customer.  Further, the revenue arrangements generally do not include a general right of return relative to the delivered products.  Where the aforementioned criteria for a separate unit of accounting are not met, the deliverable is combined with the undelivered element(s) and treated as a single unit of accounting for the purposes of allocation of the arrangement consideration and revenue recognition.  The Company allocates the total arrangement consideration to each separable element of an arrangement based upon the relative selling price of each element.  Allocation of the consideration is determined at arrangement inception on the basis of each unit’s relative selling price.  In instances where the Company has not established fair value for any undelivered element, revenue for all elements is deferred until delivery of the final element is completed and all recognition criteria are met.

Reclassification, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

New Accounting Pronouncements

Intangibles-Goodwill and Other

In September 2011, the FASB issued new guidance that will allow an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test.  Under this amendment, an entity would not be required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount.  The amendment includes a number of events and circumstances for an entity to consider in conducting the qualitative assessment.  The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 with early adoption permitted.  The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Presentation of Comprehensive Income

In December 2011, the FASB issued new guidance that improves the comparability, consistency, and transparency of financial reporting and increases the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income by eliminating the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. The amendments in this standard require that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements.  Under either method, adjustments must be displayed for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income ("OCI") to net income, in both net income and OCI.  The standard does not change the current option for presenting components of OCI gross or net of the effect of income taxes, provided that such tax effects are presented in the statement in which OCI is presented or disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.  Additionally, the standard does not affect the calculation or reporting of earnings per share. For public entities, the amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and are to be applied retrospectively, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted this standard beginning in fiscal year 2013.

Fair Value Measurement

In May 2011, the FASB issued new guidance effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011. This guidance amends certain accounting and disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements.  Additional disclosure requirements in the update include: (1) for Level 3 fair value measurements, quantitative information about unobservable inputs used, a description of the valuation processes used by the entity, and a qualitative discussion about the sensitivity of the measurements to changes in the unobservable inputs; (2) for an entity’s use of a nonfinancial asset that is different from the asset’s highest and best use, the reason for the difference; (3) for financial instruments not measured at fair value but for which disclosure of fair value is required, the fair value hierarchy level in which the fair value measurements were determined; and (4) the disclosure of all transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.   The Company adopted this standard beginning in fiscal year 2013.

Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

In November 2011, the FASB issued new guidance effective for annual reporting periods beginning January 1, 2013.  This guidance amends the disclosure requirements around offsetting to enable users of the financial statements to understand the effect of those arrangements on its financial position.   Entities are required to disclose both gross and net information about the instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement.  The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.