REPORTING SEGMENTS Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 29, 2012	Jan. 29, 2012	Oct. 30, 2011	Jul. 31, 2011	May 01, 2011	Jan. 30, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Aug. 01, 2010	Apr. 29, 2012	May 01, 2011	May 02, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 3,209.2	$ 3,478.3	$ 3,312.6	$ 3,094.2	$ 3,116.4	$ 3,186.2	$ 2,998.8	$ 2,901.3	$ 13,094.3	$ 12,202.7	$ 11,202.6
Segment sales									15,612.3	14,384.4	12,964.6
Intersegment sales									(2,518.0)	(2,181.7)	(1,762.0)
Depreciation and amortization									242.8	231.9	242.3
Interest expense									176.7	245.4	266.4
Loss (income) from equity method investments									9.9	(50.1)	(38.6)
Operating profit	154.2	170.5	224.7	173.2	266.6	372.7	278.1	177.6	722.6	1,095.0	62.8
Total assets	7,422.2				7,611.8				7,422.2	7,611.8	7,708.9
Investments	522.6				582.5				522.6	582.5	625.0
Capital expenditures									290.7	176.8	174.7
Pork Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales									11,093.0	10,263.9	9,326.3
Intersegment sales									(37.1)	(30.5)	(31.5)
Depreciation and amortization									127.8	125.5	126.0
Interest expense									28.7	42.4	48.9
Loss (income) from equity method investments									(2.7)	(2.0)	(3.6)
Operating profit									623.7	753.4	538.7
Total assets	2,245.6				2,620.2				2,245.6	2,620.2	2,579.3
Investments	18.6				17.4				18.6	17.4	17.1
Capital expenditures									143.5	81.3	141.7
Hog Production Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales									3,052.6	2,705.1	2,207.8
Intersegment sales									(2,444.6)	(2,113.0)	(1,695.0)
Depreciation and amortization									71.9	65.7	74.9
Interest expense									131.8	124.5	100.5
Loss (income) from equity method investments									0.3	(0.4)	0.7
Operating profit									166.1	224.4	(539.2)
Total assets	2,145.4				2,074.2				2,145.4	2,074.2	2,020.9
Investments	2.6				2.7				2.6	2.7	2.4
Capital expenditures									89.4	68.6	10.0
International Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales									1,466.7	1,340.7	1,277.2
Intersegment sales									(36.3)	(38.2)	(35.5)
Depreciation and amortization									39.9	38.1	37.4
Interest expense									29.8	28.2	37.7
Loss (income) from equity method investments									12.3	(46.5)	(17.2)
Operating profit									42.8	115.9	127.9
Total assets	1,651.4				1,902.3				1,651.4	1,902.3	1,670.1
Investments	501.2				562.1				501.2	562.1	498.7
Capital expenditures									26.5	26.8	22.1
Other Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales									0	74.7	153.3
Depreciation and amortization									0	0.1	0.2
Interest expense									0	4.2	6.9
Loss (income) from equity method investments									0	(1.2)	(18.5)
Operating profit									0	(2.4)	3.6
Total assets	0				0				0	0	169.4
Investments	0				0				0	0	106.7
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Depreciation and amortization									3.2	2.5	3.8
Interest expense									(13.6)	46.1	72.4
Operating profit									(110.0)	3.7	(68.2)
Total assets	1,379.8				1,015.1				1,379.8	1,015.1	1,269.2
Investments	0.2				0.3				0.2	0.3	0.1
Capital expenditures									$ 31.3	$ 0.1	$ 0.9