BUSINESS REALIGNMENT AND IMPAIRMENT CHARGES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Total Restructuring Costs Recorded in Cost of Sales	$ 402,000	$ 36,383,000	$ 45,096,000
Total Business Realignment And Impairment Charges (Credits), Net	18,665,000	44,938,000	(886,000)
Total net charges associated with business realignment initiatives and impairment	19,085,000	83,767,000	49,171,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	44.00%
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries	0	15,791,000	0
Next Century Program [Member]
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Next Century Program Other Restructuring Costs recorded in cost of sales	402,000	36,383,000	39,280,000
Next Century Program Other Restructuring Costs recorded in selling, marketing and administrative expense	18,000	2,446,000	4,961,000
Pension settlement loss	0	15,787,000	0
Plant Closure Expenses	16,387,000	20,780,000	8,620,000
Employee separation costs (credits)	0	914,000	(9,506,000)
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	190,400,000
Total costs recorded during the period for this program	16,800,000	76,300,000	43,400,000	53,900,000
Severance Costs Credits			11,200,000
Curtailment Loss			1,700,000
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost	7,600,000	12,800,000
Next Century Program [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Estimated Next Century pretax and nonrecurring project implementation costs, maximum	200,000,000
Next Century Program [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Estimated Next Century pretax and nonrecurring project implementation costs, minimum	190,000,000
Tri-US, Inc. [Member]
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Asset Impairment Charges	0	7,457,000	0
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage			49.00%
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments			5,800,000
Payments to Acquire Additional Interest in Subsidiaries		6,000,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent		69.00%
Global Supply Chain Transformation Program [Member]
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Global Supply Chain Transformation Program Other Restructuring Costs Recorded In Cost of Sales	0	0	5,816,000
Godrej Hershey Ltd [Member]
Business Realignment And Impairment Charges [Line Items]
Employee separation costs (credits)	$ 2,278,000	$ 0	$ 0