Derivative Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

May 29, 2011

Derivative Financial Instruments [Abstract]

DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

19.  DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Our operations are exposed to market risks from adverse changes in commodity prices affecting the cost of raw materials and energy, foreign currency exchange rates, and interest rates. In the normal course of business, these risks are managed through a variety of strategies, including the use of derivatives.

Commodity futures and options contracts are used from time to time to economically hedge commodity input prices on items such as natural gas, vegetable oils, proteins, dairy, grains, and electricity. Generally, we economically hedge a portion of our anticipated consumption of commodity inputs for periods of up to 36 months. We may enter into longer-term economic hedges on particular commodities, if deemed appropriate. As of May 29, 2011, we had economically hedged certain portions of our anticipated consumption of commodity inputs using derivative instruments with expiration dates through December 2012.

In order to reduce exposures related to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, when deemed prudent, we enter into forward exchange, options, or swap contracts for transactions denominated in a currency other than the applicable functional currency. This includes, but is not limited to, hedging against foreign currency risk in purchasing inventory and capital equipment, sales of finished goods, and future settlement of foreign-denominated assets and liabilities. As of May 29, 2011, we had economically hedged certain portions of our foreign currency risk in anticipated transactions using derivative instruments with expiration dates through May 2017.

From time to time, we may use derivative instruments, including interest rate swaps, to reduce risk related to changes in interest rates. This includes, but is not limited to, hedging against increasing interest rates prior to the issuance of long-term debt and hedging the fair value of our senior long-term debt.

Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges

During fiscal 2011, we entered into interest rate swap contracts to hedge the interest rate risk related to our forecasted issuance of long-term debt in 2014 (based on the anticipated refinancing of the senior long-term debt maturing at that time). We designated these interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges of the forecasted interest payments related to this debt issuance. The unrealized loss associated with these derivatives, which is deferred in accumulated other comprehensive loss at May 29, 2011, was $11.8 million.

The net notional amount of these interest rate derivatives at May 29, 2011 was $250.0 million.

Hedge ineffectiveness for cash flow hedges may impact net earnings when a change in the value of a hedge does not offset the change in the value of the underlying hedged item. Depending on the nature of the hedge, ineffectiveness is recognized within cost of goods sold or selling, general and administrative expense. We do not exclude any component of the hedging instrument’s gain or loss when assessing ineffectiveness. The ineffectiveness associated with derivatives designated as cash flow hedges from continuing operations was not material to our results of operations in any period presented.

Derivatives Designated as Fair Value Hedges

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, we entered into interest rate swap contracts to hedge the fair value of certain of our senior long-term debt instruments maturing in fiscal 2012 and 2014. We designated these interest rate swap contracts as fair value hedges of the debt instruments.

Changes in fair value of the derivative instruments are immediately recognized in earnings along with changes in the fair value of the items being hedged (based solely on the change in the benchmark interest rate). These gains and losses are classified within selling, general and administrative expenses. In fiscal 2011 and 2010, we recognized a net gain of $23.0 million and $8.5 million, respectively, on the interest rate swap contracts and a loss of $29.7 million and $5.1 million, respectively, on the senior long-term debt. The notional amount of the interest rate derivatives outstanding at May 30, 2010 was $842.7 million.

We terminated the interest rate swap contracts during fiscal 2011. As a result of this termination, we received proceeds of $31.5 million. The cumulative adjustment to the fair value of the debt instruments being hedged, $34.8 million, is included in long-term debt and is being amortized as a reduction of interest expense over the remaining lives of the debt instruments (through fiscal 2014). At the end of fiscal 2011, the unamortized amount was $27.6 million.

The entire change in fair value of the derivative instruments was included in our assessment of hedge effectiveness.

Economic Hedges of Forecasted Cash Flows

Many of our derivatives do not qualify for, and we do not currently designate certain commodity or foreign currency derivatives to achieve, hedge accounting treatment. We reflect realized and unrealized gains and losses from derivatives used to economically hedge anticipated commodity consumption and to mitigate foreign currency cash flow risk in earnings immediately within general corporate expense (within cost of goods sold). The gains and losses are reclassified to segment operating results in the period in which the underlying item being economically hedged is recognized in cost of goods sold.

Economic Hedges of Fair Values—Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

We may use options and cross currency swaps to economically hedge the fair value of certain monetary assets and liabilities (including intercompany balances) denominated in a currency other than the functional currency. These derivatives are marked-to-market with gains and losses immediately recognized in selling, general and administrative expenses. These substantially offset the foreign currency transaction gains or losses recognized on the monetary assets or liabilities being economically hedged.

Derivative Activity in Our Milling Operations

We also use derivative instruments within our milling operations, which are part of the Commercial Foods segment. Derivative instruments used to economically hedge commodity inventories and forward purchase and sales contracts within the milling operations are marked-to-market such that realized and unrealized gains and losses are immediately included in operating results. The underlying inventory and forward contracts being hedged are also marked-to-market with changes in market value recognized immediately in operating results.

For commodity derivative trading activities within our milling operations that are not intended to mitigate commodity input cost risk, the derivative instrument is marked-to-market each period with gains and losses included in net sales of the Commercial Foods segment. There were no material gains or losses from derivative trading activities in fiscal 2011, 2010, or 2009.

All derivative instruments are recognized on the balance sheet at fair value. The fair value of derivative assets is recognized within prepaid expenses and other current assets, while the fair value of derivative liabilities is recognized within other accrued liabilities. In accordance with FASB guidance, we offset certain derivative asset and liability balances, as well as certain amounts representing rights to reclaim cash collateral and obligations to return cash collateral, where legal right of setoff exists. Amounts representing a right to reclaim cash collateral of $7.8 million and $8.6 million were included in prepaid expenses and other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets at May 29, 2011 and May 30, 2010, respectively.

Derivative assets and liabilities and amounts representing a right to reclaim cash collateral are reflected in our balance sheets as follows:

	May 29,		May 30,
	2011		2010
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	71.5	$	61.8
Other accrued liabilities		92.2		10.1

The following table presents our derivative assets and liabilities, on a gross basis, prior to the offsetting of amounts where legal right of setoff exists at May 29, 2011:

	Derivative Assets			Derivative Liabilities
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value
Interest rate contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	—	Other accrued liabilities	$	11.8
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments		$	—		$	11.8
Commodity contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	85.4	Other accrued liabilities	$	84.4
Foreign exchange contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets		1.0	Other accrued liabilities		19.2
Other	Prepaid expenses and other current assets		0.7	Other accrued liabilities		0.2
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments		$	87.1		$	103.8
Total derivatives		$	87.1		$	115.6

The following table presents our derivative assets and liabilities, on a gross basis, prior to the offsetting of amounts where legal right of setoff exists at May 30, 2010:

	Derivative Assets			Derivative Liabilities
	Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value		Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value
Interest rate contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	8.5	Other accrued liabilities	$	—
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments		$	8.5		$	—
Commodity contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	48.7	Other accrued liabilities	$	20.0
Foreign exchange contracts	Prepaid expenses and other current assets		8.1	Other accrued liabilities		1.3
Other	Prepaid expenses and other current assets		—	Other accrued liabilities		0.9
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments		$	56.8		$	22.2
Total derivatives		$	65.3		$	22.2

The location and amount of gains (losses) from derivatives not designated as hedging instruments in our statements of earnings were as follows:

	For the Fiscal Year Ended May 29, 2011
		Amount of Gain (loss)
		Recognized on Derivatives in
	Location in Consolidated Statement of	Consolidated Statement of
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Earnings of Gain (loss) Recognized on Derivatives	Earnings
Commodity contracts	Cost of goods sold	$	58.1
Foreign exchange contracts	Cost of goods sold		(20.2	)
Commodity contracts	Selling, general and administrative expense		2.1
Foreign exchange contracts	Selling, general and administrative expense		(7.9	)
Total gain from derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments		$	32.1

	For the Fiscal Year Ended May 30, 2010
		Amount of Gain (loss)
		Recognized on Derivatives in
	Location in Consolidated Statement of	Consolidated Statement of
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Earnings of Gain (loss) Recognized on Derivatives	Earnings
Commodity contracts	Cost of goods sold	$	149.0
Foreign exchange contracts	Cost of goods sold		0.5
Other	Selling, general and administrative expense		2.6
Total gain from derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments		$	152.1

	For the Fiscal Year Ended May 31, 2009
		Amount of Gain (loss)
		Recognized on Derivatives in
	Location in Consolidated Statement of	Consolidated Statement of
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Earnings of Gain (loss) Recognized on Derivatives	Earnings
Commodity contracts	Cost of goods sold	$	98.1
Foreign exchange contracts	Cost of goods sold		4.2
Other	Selling, general and administrative expense		(0.4	)
Total gain from derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments		$	101.9

As of May 29, 2011, our open commodity contracts had a notional value (defined as notional quantity times market value per notional quantity unit) of $1.0 billion and $1.2 billion for purchase and sales contracts, respectively. As of May 30, 2010, our open commodity contracts had a notional value of $563.7 million and $577.1 million for purchase and sales contracts, respectively. The notional amount of our foreign currency forward and cross currency swap contracts as of May 29, 2011 and May 30, 2010 was $292.7 million and $240.0 million, respectively. In addition, we held foreign currency option collar contracts with notional amounts of $86.4 million and $97.2 million as of May 29, 2011 and May 30, 2010, respectively.

We enter into certain commodity, interest rate, and foreign exchange derivatives with a diversified group of counterparties. We continually monitor our positions and the credit ratings of the counterparties involved and limit the amount of credit exposure to any one party. These transactions may expose us to potential losses due to the risk of nonperformance by these counterparties. We have not incurred a material loss and do not expect to incur any such material losses. We also enter into futures and options transactions through various regulated exchanges.

At May 29, 2011, the maximum amount of loss due to the credit risk of the counterparties, had the counterparties failed to perform according to the terms of the contracts, was $55.2 million.