Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies	1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES *Basis of Presentation* The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Imperial Sugar Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries (the Company). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The Company operates its business as one domestic segment—the production and sale of refined sugar and related products. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. However events and circumstances described below create substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The Company's revolving credit agreement requires the maintenance of certain minimum availability levels or requires the Company to meet a financial covenant related to a minimum earnings level. Operating losses, pension plan contributions and capital expenditures have consumed a significant amount of the Company's liquidity. While the minimum availability levels under the credit agreement have not been breached, future cash needs, including capital expenditures, pension contributions and margin requirements of the commodity futures program, as well as the need to fund possible future operating losses in the event current margin pressures continue, the Company's borrowing availability in fiscal 2012 and beyond may be reduced to levels that would trigger the applicability of the financial covenants and other restrictions under the credit agreement. In such an event, it is possible that the Company will not be in compliance with such covenants and will need to seek a waiver from its lenders in order to avoid an event of default under the credit agreement. There is no assurance that such a waiver will be obtained from our lenders or that the lenders would not condition a waiver on the Company's agreement to terms that could materially limit the Company's ability to make additional borrowings or that could be otherwise disadvantageous. The Company is attempting to enhance operating cash flow by increasing sales prices and improving operating efficiencies, and is reviewing opportunities to improve its liquidity, including potential sale of assets. In December 2011 the Company sold its one-third interest in Louisiana Sugar Refining, LLC ("LSR") rather than make additional capital contributions necessitated by the financial condition of the venture. The sales price for the Company's one-third interest and certain other assets was $18.0 million with $14.2 million received at closing and the balance payable over the next 21 months. The Company is exploring with its partner the potential of selling their interests in Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc. ("Wholesome") to a third party. Pursuant to the Wholesome joint venture agreement, if a third party agrees to pay a specified minimum price for Wholesome, subject to certain conditions, both the Company and its joint venture partner could be required to sell their interests. However, there is no assurance that these steps will be successful or will improve the Company's financial condition sufficiently to avoid the consequences under the bank credit agreement described above. The Company's continuation as a going concern is dependant upon its ability to generate sufficient cash flows from operations or increase its liquidity through asset sales in order to meet its obligations as they become due. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and reclassification of recorded assets or amounts and reclassification of liabilities that may result from these uncertainties should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. *Business Risks* The Company is significantly affected by market factors, including demand for and price of refined sugar and raw cane sugar and the price and availability of energy. These factors are influenced by a variety of external forces that we are unable to predict, including the number of domestic acres contracted to grow sugar cane and sugar beets, prices of competing crops, supply and price of raw cane sugar, dietary trends, competing sweeteners, weather conditions, production outages at key industry facilities and the United States and Mexican farm and trade policies. Federal legislation and regulations provide for mechanisms designed to support the price of domestic sugar crops, principally through the limitations on importation of raw cane sugar for domestic consumption and marketing allotments. A significant portion of the Company's industrial sales are made under fixed price, forward sales contracts, which generally extend up to one year and occasionally longer. The Company also contracts to purchase raw cane sugar substantially in advance of the time it delivers the refined sugar produced from the purchase. To mitigate its exposure to future price changes, the Company attempts to manage the volume of refined sugar sales contracted for future delivery in relation to the volume of raw cane sugar contracted for future receipt and utilizes traded raw sugar futures, when feasible. *Use of Estimates* The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts as well as certain disclosures. The Company's financial statements include amounts that are based on management's best estimates and judgments. Actual results could differ from those estimates. *Cash and Cash Equivalents* Cash equivalents consist of short-term, highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less at the time of purchase. *Marketable Securities* The Company's marketable securities which are classified as "available for sale" are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair market value, with the aggregate unrealized gains or losses, net of related deferred taxes, included as a separate component of comprehensive income within shareholders' equity. *Trade Receivables* The Company accounts for trade receivables balances net of allowances for doubtful accounts. The allowance balance is determined based upon a review of prior loss history, trends in credit quality statistics, individual customer credit extensions and other factors. *Advertising and Promotion* Cost of developing and distributing advertisements is expensed as incurred. Coupon redemptions are estimated based on historical redemption rates and accrued for during the coupon distribution period. Advertising expenses are reported in Selling, General and Administrative Expense. Customer advertising reimbursements and other customer promotional activities are accrued as the related sales are made and recorded as reductions of Net Sales. *Inventories* Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost of raw sugar, including the raw sugar component of refined sugar, is determined under the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. All other costs are determined under the first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average method. LIFO inventory at September 30, 2011 and 2010 was $24.2 million and $33.1 million lower than the amount which would be reported on the FIFO inventory valuation method. Sugar inventory quantities at September 30, 2011 and 2010 declined below the level at the beginning of the year, resulting in the liquidation of a LIFO inventory layer with a cost approximately $30.5 and $3.4 million, respectively below the cost of current purchases. Raw and in-process materials include $2.3 million and $3.1 million of in-process materials at September 30, 2011 and 2010. Supplies inventory includes operating and packaging supplies as well as maintenance parts utilized in the Company's manufacturing operations. Obsolescence reserve for supplies inventory was $1.5 million at September 30, 2011 and $1.7 million at September 30, 2010. *Revenue Recognition* The Company recognizes revenues when products are shipped under contract terms or approved purchase orders at stated prices and all significant obligations of the Company have been satisfied. Risk of loss passes at time of shipment. Provisions are made for estimated returns and estimated credit losses. *Insurance Recoveries* Insurance recoveries that are deemed to be probable and reasonably estimable are recognized to the extent of the related loss. Insurance recoveries which result in gains, including recoveries under business interruption coverage, are recognized only when realized by settlement with the insurers. Advances on insurance settlements are recorded as liabilities or offsets to accrued probable recoveries and are categorized in the Statement of Cash Flows based on the nature of the activity underlying the recovery. The evaluation of insurance recoveries requires estimates and judgments about future results which affect reported amounts and certain disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. *Hedge Accounting* The Company uses raw sugar futures and options in its raw sugar purchasing programs and uses natural gas futures, options and basis swaps to hedge natural gas purchases used in its manufacturing operations. The Company applies hedge accounting to these cash flow hedge instruments if the hedge instrument is expected to be effective and if the Company is able to reasonably forecast the amount and timing of the future purchased transaction. Under hedge accounting, eligible gains and losses on raw sugar futures and options are deferred and recognized as part of the cost of inventory purchases and charged or credited to cost of sales as such inventory is sold. Eligible gains and losses on natural gas futures, options and basis swaps are deferred and recognized as part of the cost of the natural gas purchases and charged to cost of sales in the period the forecasted purchase impacts earnings. The Company recognizes gains and losses on derivative instruments in current earnings, if the requirements of hedge accounting are not met. *Property and Depreciation* Property is stated at cost and includes expenditures for renewals and improvements and capitalized interest. Maintenance and repairs are charged to current operations. The Company capitalizes certain costs in connection with the development of internal-use computer software. When property is retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts, and any gain or loss on disposition is included in income. Depreciation is provided principally on the straight-line method over the estimated service lives of the assets. In general, buildings are depreciated over 12 to 30 years and machinery and equipment over 10 to 15 years. *Impairment of Long-Lived Assets* Long-lived assets to be held and used are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Determination of recoverability is based on an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset or its disposition. Measurement of an impairment loss for long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangible assets that management expects to hold and use are based on the fair value of the asset. Long-lived assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value, less cost to sell. *Fair Value of Financial Instruments* The fair value of financial instruments is estimated based upon market trading information, where available. Absent published market values for an instrument, management estimates the fair value of debt based on quotations from broker/dealers or interest rate information for similar instruments. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other current liabilities approximates fair value because of the short maturity and/or frequent repricing of those instruments. *Federal Income Taxes* Federal income tax expense includes the current tax obligation or benefit and the change in deferred income tax liability for the period. Deferred income taxes result from temporary differences between financial and tax bases of certain assets and liabilities. The Company evaluates the realizability of deferred tax assets quarterly. When, based on all available evidence, it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established that is, in management's judgement, sufficient to reduce the asset to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized. *Stock-Based Compensation* The Company recognizes compensation expense for awards of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of those awards. *Environmental Matters* The Company provides for environmental remediation costs based on estimates of known environmental remediation exposure when such amounts are probable and estimable. Ongoing environmental compliance costs, including maintenance and monitoring costs, are expensed as incurred. Capital costs incurred to prevent future environmental contamination are capitalized. *New Accounting Pronouncements* In May 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to provide a consistent definition of fair value and ensure that fair value measurement and disclosure requirements between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards are similar. This guidance limits the highest and best use measure to non-financial assets, permits certain financial assets and liabilities with offsetting positions in market or counterparty credit risks to be measured at a net basis. The guidance also expands disclosures of Level 3 inputs by requiring quantitative disclosure of the unobservable inputs and assumptions, and a description of the valuation processes and the sensitivity of the fair value to changes in unobservable inputs. This guidance is effective for the Company in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. The implementation of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. In June 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income to require an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of equity. This guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 and should be applied retrospectively. The implementation of this guidance will only change the presentation of comprehensive income. It will not have an impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Imperial Sugar Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries (the Company). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The Company operates its business as one domestic segment—the production and sale of refined sugar and related products. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. However events and circumstances described below create substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The Company's revolving credit agreement requires the maintenance of certain minimum availability levels or requires the Company to meet a financial covenant related to a minimum earnings level. Operating losses, pension plan contributions and capital expenditures have consumed a significant amount of the Company's liquidity. While the minimum availability levels under the credit agreement have not been breached, future cash needs, including capital expenditures, pension contributions and margin requirements of the commodity futures program, as well as the need to fund possible future operating losses in the event current margin pressures continue, the Company's borrowing availability in fiscal 2012 and beyond may be reduced to levels that would trigger the applicability of the financial covenants and other restrictions under the credit agreement. In such an event, it is possible that the Company will not be in compliance with such covenants and will need to seek a waiver from its lenders in order to avoid an event of default under the credit agreement. There is no assurance that such a waiver will be obtained from our lenders or that the lenders would not condition a waiver on the Company's agreement to terms that could materially limit the Company's ability to make additional borrowings or that could be otherwise disadvantageous.

The Company is attempting to enhance operating cash flow by increasing sales prices and improving operating efficiencies, and is reviewing opportunities to improve its liquidity, including potential sale of assets. In December 2011 the Company sold its one-third interest in Louisiana Sugar Refining, LLC ("LSR") rather than make additional capital contributions necessitated by the financial condition of the venture. The sales price for the Company's one-third interest and certain other assets was $18.0 million with $14.2 million received at closing and the balance payable over the next 21 months. The Company is exploring with its partner the potential of selling their interests in Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc. ("Wholesome") to a third party. Pursuant to the Wholesome joint venture agreement, if a third party agrees to pay a specified minimum price for Wholesome, subject to certain conditions, both the Company and its joint venture partner could be required to sell their interests. However, there is no assurance that these steps will be successful or will improve the Company's financial condition sufficiently to avoid the consequences under the bank credit agreement described above.

The Company's continuation as a going concern is dependant upon its ability to generate sufficient cash flows from operations or increase its liquidity through asset sales in order to meet its obligations as they become due. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and reclassification of recorded assets or amounts and reclassification of liabilities that may result from these uncertainties should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

Business Risks

The Company is significantly affected by market factors, including demand for and price of refined sugar and raw cane sugar and the price and availability of energy. These factors are influenced by a variety of external forces that we are unable to predict, including the number of domestic acres contracted to grow sugar cane and sugar beets, prices of competing crops, supply and price of raw cane sugar, dietary trends, competing sweeteners, weather conditions, production outages at key industry facilities and the United States and Mexican farm and trade policies. Federal legislation and regulations provide for mechanisms designed to support the price of domestic sugar crops, principally through the limitations on importation of raw cane sugar for domestic consumption and marketing allotments.

A significant portion of the Company's industrial sales are made under fixed price, forward sales contracts, which generally extend up to one year and occasionally longer. The Company also contracts to purchase raw cane sugar substantially in advance of the time it delivers the refined sugar produced from the purchase. To mitigate its exposure to future price changes, the Company attempts to manage the volume of refined sugar sales contracted for future delivery in relation to the volume of raw cane sugar contracted for future receipt and utilizes traded raw sugar futures, when feasible.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts as well as certain disclosures. The Company's financial statements include amounts that are based on management's best estimates and judgments. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents consist of short-term, highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less at the time of purchase.

Marketable Securities

The Company's marketable securities which are classified as "available for sale" are reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheet at fair market value, with the aggregate unrealized gains or losses, net of related deferred taxes, included as a separate component of comprehensive income within shareholders' equity.

Trade Receivables

The Company accounts for trade receivables balances net of allowances for doubtful accounts. The allowance balance is determined based upon a review of prior loss history, trends in credit quality statistics, individual customer credit extensions and other factors.

Advertising and Promotion

Cost of developing and distributing advertisements is expensed as incurred. Coupon redemptions are estimated based on historical redemption rates and accrued for during the coupon distribution period. Advertising expenses are reported in Selling, General and Administrative Expense. Customer advertising reimbursements and other customer promotional activities are accrued as the related sales are made and recorded as reductions of Net Sales.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost of raw sugar, including the raw sugar component of refined sugar, is determined under the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. All other costs are determined under the first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average method. LIFO inventory at September 30, 2011 and 2010 was $24.2 million and $33.1 million lower than the amount which would be reported on the FIFO inventory valuation method. Sugar inventory quantities at September 30, 2011 and 2010 declined below the level at the beginning of the year, resulting in the liquidation of a LIFO inventory layer with a cost approximately $30.5 and $3.4 million, respectively below the cost of current purchases. Raw and in-process materials include $2.3 million and $3.1 million of in-process materials at September 30, 2011 and 2010. Supplies inventory includes operating and packaging supplies as well as maintenance parts utilized in the Company's manufacturing operations. Obsolescence reserve for supplies inventory was $1.5 million at September 30, 2011 and $1.7 million at September 30, 2010.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenues when products are shipped under contract terms or approved purchase orders at stated prices and all significant obligations of the Company have been satisfied. Risk of loss passes at time of shipment. Provisions are made for estimated returns and estimated credit losses.

Insurance Recoveries

Insurance recoveries that are deemed to be probable and reasonably estimable are recognized to the extent of the related loss. Insurance recoveries which result in gains, including recoveries under business interruption coverage, are recognized only when realized by settlement with the insurers. Advances on insurance settlements are recorded as liabilities or offsets to accrued probable recoveries and are categorized in the Statement of Cash Flows based on the nature of the activity underlying the recovery. The evaluation of insurance recoveries requires estimates and judgments about future results which affect reported amounts and certain disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Hedge Accounting

The Company uses raw sugar futures and options in its raw sugar purchasing programs and uses natural gas futures, options and basis swaps to hedge natural gas purchases used in its manufacturing operations. The Company applies hedge accounting to these cash flow hedge instruments if the hedge instrument is expected to be effective and if the Company is able to reasonably forecast the amount and timing of the future purchased transaction. Under hedge accounting, eligible gains and losses on raw sugar futures and options are deferred and recognized as part of the cost of inventory purchases and charged or credited to cost of sales as such inventory is sold. Eligible gains and losses on natural gas futures, options and basis swaps are deferred and recognized as part of the cost of the natural gas purchases and charged to cost of sales in the period the forecasted purchase impacts earnings. The Company recognizes gains and losses on derivative instruments in current earnings, if the requirements of hedge accounting are not met.

Property and Depreciation

Property is stated at cost and includes expenditures for renewals and improvements and capitalized interest. Maintenance and repairs are charged to current operations. The Company capitalizes certain costs in connection with the development of internal-use computer software. When property is retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts, and any gain or loss on disposition is included in income.

Depreciation is provided principally on the straight-line method over the estimated service lives of the assets. In general, buildings are depreciated over 12 to 30 years and machinery and equipment over 10 to 15 years.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets to be held and used are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Determination of recoverability is based on an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset or its disposition. Measurement of an impairment loss for long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangible assets that management expects to hold and use are based on the fair value of the asset. Long-lived assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value, less cost to sell.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The fair value of financial instruments is estimated based upon market trading information, where available. Absent published market values for an instrument, management estimates the fair value of debt based on quotations from broker/dealers or interest rate information for similar instruments. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other current liabilities approximates fair value because of the short maturity and/or frequent repricing of those instruments.

Federal Income Taxes

Federal income tax expense includes the current tax obligation or benefit and the change in deferred income tax liability for the period. Deferred income taxes result from temporary differences between financial and tax bases of certain assets and liabilities. The Company evaluates the realizability of deferred tax assets quarterly. When, based on all available evidence, it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established that is, in management's judgement, sufficient to reduce the asset to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes compensation expense for awards of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of those awards.

Environmental Matters

The Company provides for environmental remediation costs based on estimates of known environmental remediation exposure when such amounts are probable and estimable. Ongoing environmental compliance costs, including maintenance and monitoring costs, are expensed as incurred. Capital costs incurred to prevent future environmental contamination are capitalized.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance to provide a consistent definition of fair value and ensure that fair value measurement and disclosure requirements between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards are similar. This guidance limits the highest and best use measure to non-financial assets, permits certain financial assets and liabilities with offsetting positions in market or counterparty credit risks to be measured at a net basis. The guidance also expands disclosures of Level 3 inputs by requiring quantitative disclosure of the unobservable inputs and assumptions, and a description of the valuation processes and the sensitivity of the fair value to changes in unobservable inputs. This guidance is effective for the Company in the second quarter of fiscal 2012. The implementation of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

In June 2011, the FASB issued authoritative guidance on the presentation of comprehensive income to require an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of equity. This guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2013 and should be applied retrospectively. The implementation of this guidance will only change the presentation of comprehensive income. It will not have an impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.