DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 29, 2013
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION [Abstract]
Consolidated Financial Statements	Consolidated Financial Statements The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring adjustments unless otherwise disclosed) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the thirteen and thirty-nine weeks ended September 29, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 29, 2013. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2012. Pilgrim's operates on a 52/53-week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday falling on or before December 31. The reader should assume any reference we make to a particular year (for example, 2013) in the notes to these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements applies to our fiscal year and not the calendar year. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. We eliminate all significant affiliate accounts and transactions upon consolidation. The Company measures the financial statements of its Mexico subsidiaries as if the U.S. dollar were the functional currency. Accordingly, we remeasure assets and liabilities, other than non-monetary assets, of the Mexico subsidiaries at current exchange rates. We remeasure non-monetary assets using the historical exchange rate in effect on the date of each asset's acquisition, with the exception of inventories that are remeasured using an exchange rate based on inventory turnover. We remeasure income and expenses at average exchange rates in effect during the period. Currency exchange gains or losses are included in the line item Foreign currency transaction losses (gains) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
Reportable Segment	Reportable Segment We operate in one reportable business segment, as a producer and seller of chicken products we either produce or purchase for resale.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition We recognize revenue when all of the following circumstances are satisfied: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) price is fixed or determinable, (iii) collectability is reasonably assured and (iv) delivery has occurred. Delivery occurs in the period in which the customer takes title and assumes the risks and rewards of ownership of the products specified in the customer's purchase order or sales agreement. Revenue is recorded net of estimated incentive offerings including special pricing agreements, promotions and other volume-based incentives. Revisions to these estimates are charged back to net sales in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known.
Book Overdraft	Book Overdraft The majority of the Company's disbursement bank accounts are zero balance accounts where cash needs are funded as checks are presented for payment by the holder. Checks issued pending clearance that result in overdraft balances for accounting purposes are classified as accounts payable and the change in the related balance is reflected in operating activities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications We have made certain reclassifications to the 2012 Consolidated Financial Statements with no impact to reported net income in order to conform to the 2013 presentation.

Disclosure of accounting policy for revenue recognition. If the entity has different policies for different types of revenue transactions, the policy for each material type of transaction is generally disclosed. If a sales transaction has multiple element arrangements (for example, delivery of multiple products, services or the rights to use assets) the disclosure may indicate the accounting policy for each unit of accounting as well as how units of accounting are determined and valued. The disclosure may encompass important judgment as to appropriateness of principles related to recognition of revenue. The disclosure also may indicate the entity's treatment of any unearned or deferred revenue that arises from the transaction.

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