Name:	gis_AccountsPayableToSuppliersThatUtilizeThirdPartyService
Namespace Prefix:	gis_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Average period over which the commodity inputs related to derivative contract will be utilized.

No definition available.

Name:	gis_DerivativeContractsInputsAveragePeriodOfUtilization
Namespace Prefix:	gis_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Average fixed interest rate related to the group of interest rate derivatives.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAverageFixedInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Date the derivative contract matures, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeMaturityDates
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_RisksAndUncertaintiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_CommodityContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_EnergyRelatedDerivativeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=gis_AgriculturalRelatedDerivativeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=gis_TreasuryLockTwoExpiringFebruary2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=gis_TreasuryLockOneExpiringFebruary2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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