Supplemental Cash Flows Information (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 27, 2011	Apr. 28, 2010	Apr. 29, 2009
Cash Paid During the Year For:
Interest	$ 268,131,000	$ 305,332,000	$ 310,047,000
Income taxes	154,527,000	138,953,000	203,298,000
Details of Acquisitions:
Fair value of assets	1,057,870,000	16,072,000	478,440,000
Liabilities	274,294,000	4,644,000	181,093,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	124,669,000
Cash Paid	658,907,000	11,428,000	297,347,000
Less cash acquired	40,605,000		3,449,000
Net cash paid for acquisitions	618,302,000	11,428,000	293,898,000
Supplemental Cash Flows Information (Textuals) [Abstract]
Obligations to sellers	44,500,000
Notes issued		681,000,000
Cash paid in exchange of outstanding dealer remarketable securities		217,500,000
Outstanding dealer remarketable securities		681,000,000
Property, plant and equipment and debt related to contractual arrangements		41,800,000
Trade receivables sold without recourse	$ 146,000,000	$ 126,000,000