Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 2 (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jan. 27, 2013	Jan. 25, 2012	Jan. 27, 2013	Jan. 25, 2012	Apr. 29, 2012
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	$ 839,887,000		$ 839,887,000		$ 845,728,000
Accumulated Amortization	(398,042,000)		(398,042,000)		(382,367,000)
Net	441,845,000		441,845,000		463,361,000
Amortization expense for trademarks and other intangible assets	7,700,000	7,500,000	23,100,000	24,400,000
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]			31,000,000
Future amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets	441,845,000		441,845,000		463,361,000
Intangible assets not subject to amortization	992,100,000		992,100,000		1,040,000,000
Trademarks [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	286,554,000		286,554,000		282,937,000
Accumulated Amortization	(90,953,000)		(90,953,000)		(87,925,000)
Net	195,601,000		195,601,000		195,012,000
Future amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets	195,601,000		195,601,000		195,012,000
Intangible assets not subject to amortization	855,300,000		855,300,000		895,900,000
Licenses [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	208,186,000		208,186,000		208,186,000
Accumulated Amortization	(168,234,000)		(168,234,000)		(163,945,000)
Net	39,952,000		39,952,000		44,241,000
Future amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets	39,952,000		39,952,000		44,241,000
Intangible assets not subject to amortization	19,700,000		19,700,000		20,100,000
Recipes/processes [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	87,189,000		87,189,000		89,207,000
Accumulated Amortization	(37,107,000)		(37,107,000)		(35,811,000)
Net	50,082,000		50,082,000		53,396,000
Future amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets	50,082,000		50,082,000		53,396,000
Intangible assets not subject to amortization	117,100,000		117,100,000		119,300,000
Customer-related assets [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	211,482,000		211,482,000		216,755,000
Accumulated Amortization	(75,360,000)		(75,360,000)		(69,244,000)
Net	136,122,000		136,122,000		147,511,000
Future amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets	136,122,000		136,122,000		147,511,000
Other [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	46,476,000		46,476,000		48,643,000
Accumulated Amortization	(26,388,000)		(26,388,000)		(25,442,000)
Net	20,088,000		20,088,000		23,201,000
Future amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets	$ 20,088,000		$ 20,088,000		$ 23,201,000