QUARTERLY DATA (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Oct. 02, 2016	Jul. 03, 2016	Apr. 03, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Oct. 04, 2015	Jul. 05, 2015	Apr. 05, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Net sales	$ 1,970,244	$ 2,003,454	$ 1,637,671	$ 1,828,812	$ 1,909,222	$ 1,960,779	$ 1,578,825	$ 1,937,800	$ 7,440,181	$ 7,386,626	$ 7,421,768
Gross profit	742,269	850,848	747,398	817,376	877,718	868,706	735,408	900,843	3,157,891	3,382,675	3,336,166
Net income	$ 116,853	227,403	$ 145,956	$ 229,832	$ 227,889	$ 140,266	$ (99,941)	$ 244,737	720,044	512,951	846,912
Increase to cost of good sold, due to recast adjustment									$ (4,282,290)	$ (4,003,951)	$ (4,085,602)
Hedge Accounting Compliance For Cocoa Commodity Derivatives | Recast Adjustment
Increase to cost of good sold, due to recast adjustment		$ (23,358)
Maximum
Market price of common stock throughout the quarter (USD per share)	$ 104.44	$ 113.89	$ 113.49	$ 93.71	$ 97.07	$ 94.31	$ 101.74	$ 110.78	$ 104.44	$ 97.07
Minimum
Market price of common stock throughout the quarter (USD per share)	94.63	94.64	89.60	83.32	83.58	85.13	87.86	98.52	94.63	83.58
Common stock
Net income per share - basic (USD per share)	0.56	1.09	0.70	1.09	1.08	0.66	(0.47)	1.14	3.45	2.40	$ 3.91
Net income per share - diluted (USD per share)	0.55	1.06	0.68	1.06	1.04	0.64	(0.47)	1.10	3.34	2.32	3.77
Dividends paid per share (USD per share)	0.618	0.618	0.583	0.583	0.583	0.583	0.535	0.535	2.402	2.236	2.04
Class B common stock
Net income per share - basic (USD per share)	0.51	0.99	0.64	0.99	0.98	0.60	(0.42)	1.04	3.15	2.19	3.54
Net income per share - diluted (USD per share)	0.51	0.99	0.64	0.99	0.98	0.60	(0.42)	1.03	3.14	2.19	3.52
Dividends paid per share (USD per share)	$ 0.562	$ 0.562	$ 0.530	$ 0.530	$ 0.53	$ 0.53	$ 0.486	$ 0.486	$ 2.184	$ 2.032	$ 1.842