Notes Payable, Long-term Debt, Commitments and Contingencies (Details)						3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 02, 2015 item	Apr. 29, 2015 item	Oct. 17, 2014 item	Sep. 18, 2014 item	Aug. 29, 2014 USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2015 USD ($) item	Oct. 03, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 27, 2014 USD ($)	Oct. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 23, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 22, 2015 USD ($)	May. 13, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 19, 2012 item
Debt Instrument
Principal payments of long-term debt								$ 91,403,000
Contingencies
Number of foreign companies, where records requested by court | item		37
Number of subpoenas | item	2
Number of entities, where records requested by court | item			8	9
Number of individuals, where records requested by court | item		5	1	1
Number of search warrants executed authorizing the seizure of certain records from Seaboard's offices in Merriam, Kansas and at the Seaboard Foods employment office and the human resources department in Guymon, Oklahoma. | item													3
Number of civil or criminal proceedings or charges filed | item						0
Pork Processing Plant In Sioux City Iowa
Contingencies
Agreed contribution												$ 207,400,000
Contributions on contractual obligation						$ 14,900,000	$ 14,900,000
Pork Processing Plant In Sioux City Iowa | Forecast
Contingencies
Contribution on contractual obligation							10,800,000
Uncommitted bank lines
Debt Instrument
Letters of credit outstanding						$ 3,107,000	$ 3,107,000
Uncommitted bank lines | Commodity Trading and Milling
Debt Instrument
Maximum capacity											$ 50,000,000
Committed bank line
Debt Instrument
Maximum capacity of cancelled credit facility									$ 200,000,000
Committed bank line | Commodity Trading and Milling
Debt Instrument
Maximum capacity of expired credit facility										$ 50,000,000
Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument
Principal payments of long-term debt					$ 85,500,000
Credit Agreement | Interest expense.
Debt Instrument
Fee for early payment					$ 3,760,000