Productivity Initiatives 2 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Apr. 29, 2012	Jan. 25, 2012	Oct. 26, 2011	Jul. 27, 2011	Apr. 29, 2012		Apr. 27, 2011		Apr. 28, 2010
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges	$ 112,700,000	$ 33,800,000	$ 37,300,000	$ 40,500,000	$ 224,317,000	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 37,665,000	[1]
Cash payments					(111,000,000)
Reserve balance at April 29, 2012	54,600,000				54,600,000
Productivity Initatives [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					224,300,000
Fiscal 2012 productivity charges					165,600,000
Productivity Initatives [Member] | North American Consumer Products [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					25,600,000
Productivity Initatives [Member] | Europe [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					56,400,000
Productivity Initatives [Member] | Asia Pacific [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					84,500,000
Productivity Initatives [Member] | U.S. Foodservice [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					52,800,000
Productivity Initatives [Member] | Rest of World [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					4,400,000
Productivity Initatives [Member] | Non-Operating [Member]
Restructuring Costs by Reportable Segment [Line Items]
Productivity charges					$ 700,000

[1] See Note 3 for further details on Fiscal 2012 productivity initiatives. Fiscal 2010 includes costs associated with targeted workforce reductions and asset write-offs, that were part of a corporation-wide initiative to improve productivity. The asset write-offs related to two factory closures and the exit of a formula business in the U.K.