REGULATION AND CONTINGENCIES Fire Insurance Settlement (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	18 Months Ended
Apr. 29, 2012	May 01, 2011	May 02, 2010	Jan. 30, 2011 Patrick Cudahy, Inc. Fire Insurance Settlement [Member]	May 01, 2011 Patrick Cudahy, Inc. Fire Insurance Settlement [Member]	May 02, 2010 Patrick Cudahy, Inc. Fire Insurance Settlement [Member]	Jan. 30, 2011 Patrick Cudahy, Inc. Fire Insurance Settlement [Member]
Unusual or Infrequent Item [Line Items]
Total insurance proceeds						$ 70.0	$ 208.0
Gain on fire insurance recovery	0	120.6	0	120.6	120.6
Business Interruption Losses, Allocation of Insurance Proceeds					15.8	31.8
Insurance proceeds	$ 0	$ 120.6	$ 9.9		$ 120.6	$ 9.9

The cash inflow from the amounts received by the insured under the terms of an insurance contract settlement. This element pertains only to insurance proceeds related to investments, for example fixed assets. It excludes insurance settlements classified as operating cash flows.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6943989&loc=d3e3179-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 95

-Paragraph 22

-Subparagraph c

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration