1.0.0.3 false Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands false 1 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 2 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 4 Current Assets: 2 us-gaap_AssetsCurrentAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 5 Cash and cash equivalents 3 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 562307000 562307 false false 2 true true 373145000 373145 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 6 Trade receivables, net 3 us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 784865000 784865 false false 2 false true 881164000 881164 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 7 Other receivables, net 3 hnz_OtherReceivablesNet hnz false debit instant monetary Other receivables, net. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 293768000 293768 false false 2 false true 290633000 290633 [1] false false Other receivables, net. No authoritative reference available. false 8 Inventories: 3 us-gaap_InventoryNetAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 9 Finished goods and work-in-process 4 us-gaap_InventoryFinishedGoodsAndWorkInProcessNetOfReserves us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1015976000 1015976 false false 2 false true 973983000 973983 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Packaging material and ingredients 4 us-gaap_InventoryRawMaterials us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 360194000 360194 false false 2 false true 263630000 263630 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 11 Total inventories 4 us-gaap_InventoryNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1376170000 1376170 false false 2 false true 1237613000 1237613 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 12 Prepaid expenses 3 us-gaap_PrepaidExpenseCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 131796000 131796 false false 2 false true 125765000 125765 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Other current assets 3 us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 107668000 107668 false false 2 false true 36701000 36701 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 14 Total current assets 3 us-gaap_AssetsCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3256574000 3256574 false false 2 false true 2945021000 2945021 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 15 Property, plant and equipment 2 us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4420277000 4420277 false false 2 false true 4109562000 4109562 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 16 Less accumulated depreciation 2 us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2361691000 2361691 false false 2 false true 2131260000 2131260 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Total property, plant and equipment, net 2 us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2058586000 2058586 false false 2 false true 1978302000 1978302 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 18 Goodwill 2 us-gaap_Goodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2826752000 2826752 false false 2 false true 2687788000 2687788 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 19 Trademarks, net 2 hnz_TrademarksNet hnz false debit instant monetary Trademarks, net. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 918187000 918187 false false 2 false true 889815000 889815 [1] false false Trademarks, net. No authoritative reference available. false 20 Other intangibles, net 2 hnz_OtherIntangiblesNet hnz false debit instant monetary Other intangibles, net. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 415441000 415441 false false 2 false true 405351000 405351 [1] false false Other intangibles, net. No authoritative reference available. false 21 Long-term restricted cash 2 us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsNoncurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 0 0 false false 2 false true 192736000 192736 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 22 Other non-current assets 2 us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 595645000 595645 false false 2 false true 565171000 565171 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 23 Total other non-current assets 2 hnz_TotalOtherNonCurrentAssets hnz false debit instant monetary Total other non-current assets. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4756025000 4756025 false false 2 false true 4740861000 4740861 [1] false false Total other non-current assets. No authoritative reference available. true 24 Total assets 2 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 10071185000 10071185 false false 2 false true 9664184000 9664184 [1] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 26 Current Liabilities: 2 us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrentAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 27 Short-term debt 3 us-gaap_ShortTermBorrowings us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 43632000 43632 false false 2 false true 61297000 61297 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 28 Portion of long-term debt due within one year 3 us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4897000 4897 false false 2 false true 4341000 4341 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 29 Trade payables 3 us-gaap_AccountsPayableTradeCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 917804000 917804 false false 2 false true 955430000 955430 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 30 Other payables 3 us-gaap_AccountsPayableOtherCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 134997000 134997 false false 2 false true 157877000 157877 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 31 Salaries and wages 3 us-gaap_EmployeeRelatedLiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 89410000 89410 false false 2 false true 91283000 91283 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 32 Accrued marketing 3 hnz_AccruedMarketing hnz false credit instant monetary Accrued marketing. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 318058000 318058 false false 2 false true 233316000 233316 [2] false false Accrued marketing. No authoritative reference available. false 33 Other accrued liabilities 3 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 491007000 491007 false false 2 false true 485406000 485406 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 34 Income taxes 3 us-gaap_TaxesPayableCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 88710000 88710 false false 2 false true 73896000 73896 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 35 Total current liabilities 3 us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2088515000 2088515 false false 2 false true 2062846000 2062846 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 36 Long-term debt 2 us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4764221000 4764221 false false 2 false true 5076186000 5076186 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 37 Deferred income taxes 2 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 533690000 533690 false false 2 false true 345749000 345749 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 38 Non-pension post-retirement benefits 2 us-gaap_OtherPostretirementDefinedBenefitPlanLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 222919000 222919 false false 2 false true 214786000 214786 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 39 Other liabilities 2 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 571695000 571695 false false 2 false true 685512000 685512 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 40 Total long-term liabilities 2 us-gaap_LiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 6092525000 6092525 false false 2 false true 6322233000 6322233 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 41 Equity: 2 us-gaap_EquityAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 42 Capital stock 3 us-gaap_CommonStockValue us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 107844000 107844 false false 2 false true 107844000 107844 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 43 Additional capital 3 us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapital us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 665744000 665744 false false 2 false true 737917000 737917 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 44 Retained earnings 3 us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 6797957000 6797957 false false 2 false true 6525719000 6525719 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 45 Total capital stock, additional capital and retained earnings 3 hnz_SumOfCapitalStockAdditionalCapitalAndRetainedEarnings hnz false credit instant monetary Sum of capital stock, additional capital and retained earnings. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 7571545000 7571545 false false 2 false true 7371480000 7371480 [2] false false Sum of capital stock, additional capital and retained earnings. No authoritative reference available. false 46 Less: 3 hnz_EquityLessAbstract hnz false na duration string equity (less): false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false equity (less): false 47 Treasury stock at cost (114,860 shares at January 27, 2010 and 116,237 shares at April 29, 2009) 4 us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4818295000 4818295 false false 2 false true 4881842000 4881842 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 48 Accumulated other comprehensive loss 4 us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 929597000 929597 false false 2 false true 1269700000 1269700 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 49 Total H. J. Heinz Company shareholders' equity 2 us-gaap_StockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1823653000 1823653 false false 2 false true 1219938000 1219938 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 50 Noncontrolling interest 2 us-gaap_MinorityInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 66492000 66492 false false 2 false true 59167000 59167 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 51 Total equity 2 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1890145000 1890145 false false 2 false true 1279105000 1279105 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 52 Total liabilities and equity 2 us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 10071185000 10071185 false false 2 true true 9664184000 9664184 [2] false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 1 The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. 2 The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Noncontrolling (minority) interest has been reclassified and presented as a component of equity as a result of the adoption of new accounting guidance (see Note 3). false 2 48 false Thousands UnKnown UnKnown false true