Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Oct. 03, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	Accounting policies Basis of presentation The unaudited interim financial information of Kellogg Company (the Company) included in this report reflects normal recurring adjustments that management believes are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations, comprehensive income, financial position, equity and cash flows for the periods presented. This interim information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying footnotes within the Company’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The condensed balance sheet data at January 3, 2015 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The results of operations for the quarterly period ended October 3, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for other interim periods or the full year. Accounts payable Beginning in 2014, the Company has an agreement with a third party to provide an accounts payable tracking system which facilitates participating suppliers’ ability to monitor and, if elected, sell payment obligations from the Company to designated third-party financial institutions. Participating suppliers may, at their sole discretion, make offers to sell one or more payment obligations of the Company prior to their scheduled due dates at a discounted price to participating financial institutions. The Company’s goal in entering into this agreement is to capture overall supplier savings, in the form of payment terms or vendor funding, created by facilitating suppliers’ ability to sell payment obligations, while providing them with greater working capital flexibility. We have no economic interest in the sale of these suppliers’ receivables and no direct financial relationship with the financial institutions concerning these services. The Company’s obligations to its suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment dates, are not impacted by suppliers’ decisions to sell amounts under this arrangement. However, the Company’s right to offset balances due from suppliers against payment obligations is restricted by this agreement for those payment obligations that have been sold by suppliers. As of October 3, 2015, $396 million of the Company’s outstanding payment obligations had been placed in the accounts payable tracking system, and participating suppliers had sold $312 million of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions. As of January 3, 2015, $236 million of the Company’s outstanding payment obligations had been placed in the accounts payable tracking system, and participating suppliers had sold $184 million of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions. Accounting standards to be adopted in future periods In September 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) to simplify the accounting for measurement-period adjustments for items in a business combination. The ASU requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Entities should apply the new guidance prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date of the ASU with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The Company will adopt the updated standard in the first quarter of 2016. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The ASU requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this ASU. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis. The Company is currently assessing when it will adopt the updated standard. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to provide a practical expedient for the measurement date of an employer’s defined benefit obligation and plan assets. For an entity with a fiscal year-end that does not coincide with a month-end, the amendments in this Update provide a practical expedient that permits the entity to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations using the month-end that is closest to the entity’s fiscal year-end and apply that practical expedient consistently to all plans from year to year. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance on a prospective basis. The Company will early adopt the updated standard when measuring the fair value of plan assets at the end of its 2015 fiscal year. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance either; 1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or 2) retrospectively. The Company will adopt the updated standard prospectively in the first quarter of 2016. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued an ASU which provides guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of this ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity would be required to apply the following five steps: 1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. When the ASU was originally issued it was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption was not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The updated standard will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Entities will be permitted to adopt the new revenue standard early, but not before the original effective date. Entities will have the option to apply the final standard retrospectively or use a modified retrospective method, recognizing the cumulative effect of the ASU in retained earnings at the date of initial application. An entity will not restate prior periods if it uses the modified retrospective method, but will be required to disclose the amount by which each financial statement line item is affected in the current reporting period by the application of the ASU as compared to the guidance in effect prior to the change, as well as reasons for significant changes. The Company will adopt the updated standard in the first quarter of 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that implementing this ASU will have on its financial statements and disclosures, as well as whether it will use the retrospective or modified retrospective method of adoption.

Accounting policies

Basis of presentation

The unaudited interim financial information of Kellogg Company (the Company) included in this report reflects normal recurring adjustments that management believes are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations, comprehensive income, financial position, equity and cash flows for the periods presented. This interim information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and accompanying footnotes within the Company’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The condensed balance sheet data at January 3, 2015 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The results of operations for the quarterly period ended October 3, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for other interim periods or the full year.

Accounts payable

Beginning in 2014, the Company has an agreement with a third party to provide an accounts payable tracking system which facilitates participating suppliers’ ability to monitor and, if elected, sell payment obligations from the Company to designated third-party financial institutions. Participating suppliers may, at their sole discretion, make offers to sell one or more payment obligations of the Company prior to their scheduled due dates at a discounted price to participating financial institutions. The Company’s goal in entering into this agreement is to capture overall supplier savings, in the form of payment terms or vendor funding, created by facilitating suppliers’ ability to sell payment obligations, while providing them with greater working capital flexibility. We have no economic interest in the sale of these suppliers’ receivables and no direct financial relationship with the financial institutions concerning these services. The Company’s obligations to its suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment dates, are not impacted by suppliers’ decisions to sell amounts under this arrangement. However, the Company’s right to offset balances due from suppliers against payment obligations is restricted by this agreement for those payment obligations that have been sold by suppliers. As of October 3, 2015, $396 million of the Company’s outstanding payment obligations had been placed in the accounts payable tracking system, and participating suppliers had sold $312 million of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions. As of January 3, 2015, $236 million of the Company’s outstanding payment obligations had been placed in the accounts payable tracking system, and participating suppliers had sold $184 million of those payment obligations to participating financial institutions.

Accounting standards to be adopted in future periods

In September 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) to simplify the accounting for measurement-period adjustments for items in a business combination. The ASU requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Entities should apply the new guidance prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date of the ASU with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The Company will adopt the updated standard in the first quarter of 2016. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The ASU requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this ASU. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis. The Company is currently assessing when it will adopt the updated standard. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to provide a practical expedient for the measurement date of an employer’s defined benefit obligation and plan assets. For an entity with a fiscal year-end that does not coincide with a month-end, the amendments in this Update provide a practical expedient that permits the entity to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations using the month-end that is closest to the entity’s fiscal year-end and apply that practical expedient consistently to all plans from year to year. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance on a prospective basis. The Company will early adopt the updated standard when measuring the fair value of plan assets at the end of its 2015 fiscal year. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities should apply the new guidance either; 1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or 2) retrospectively. The Company will adopt the updated standard prospectively in the first quarter of 2016. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued an ASU which provides guidance for accounting for revenue from contracts with customers. The core principle of this ASU is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity would be required to apply the following five steps: 1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; 2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. When the ASU was originally issued it was effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption was not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB decided to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year. The updated standard will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Entities will be permitted to adopt the new revenue standard early, but not before the original effective date. Entities will have the option to apply the final standard retrospectively or use a modified retrospective method, recognizing the cumulative effect of the ASU in retained earnings at the date of initial application. An entity will not restate prior periods if it uses the modified retrospective method, but will be required to disclose the amount by which each financial statement line item is affected in the current reporting period by the application of the ASU as compared to the guidance in effect prior to the change, as well as reasons for significant changes. The Company will adopt the updated standard in the first quarter of 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that implementing this ASU will have on its financial statements and disclosures, as well as whether it will use the retrospective or modified retrospective method of adoption.