Segment Reporting - Sales (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 27, 2019	Jul. 28, 2019	Apr. 28, 2019	Jan. 27, 2019	Oct. 28, 2018	Jul. 29, 2018	Apr. 29, 2018	Jan. 28, 2018	Oct. 27, 2019	Oct. 28, 2018		Oct. 29, 2017
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	$ 2,501,513	$ 2,290,705	$ 2,344,744	$ 2,360,355	$ 2,524,697	$ 2,359,142	$ 2,330,568	$ 2,331,293	$ 9,497,317	$ 9,545,700	[1]	$ 9,167,519	[1]
Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									140,104	119,382		121,248
Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									9,497,317	9,545,700		9,167,519
Grocery Products
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									2,369,317	2,480,367		2,507,503
Grocery Products | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									41	38		32
Grocery Products | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									2,369,358	2,480,405		2,507,535
Refrigerated Foods
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									5,210,741	5,109,881		4,759,839
Refrigerated Foods | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									16,351	8,591		7,832
Refrigerated Foods | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									5,227,092	5,118,472		4,767,671
Jennie-O Turkey Store
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									1,323,783	1,331,013		1,355,163
Jennie-O Turkey Store | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									123,712	110,753		113,384
Jennie-O Turkey Store | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									1,447,495	1,441,766		1,468,547
International & Other
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									593,476	624,439		545,014
International & Other | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									0	0		0
International & Other | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									$ 593,476	$ 624,439		$ 545,014

[1] Adjusted due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits: Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (Topic 715). See Note A - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.