Segment Reporting - Sales (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 25, 2020	Jul. 26, 2020	Apr. 26, 2020	Jan. 26, 2020	Oct. 27, 2019	Jul. 28, 2019	Apr. 28, 2019	Jan. 27, 2019	Oct. 25, 2020	Oct. 27, 2019	Oct. 28, 2018
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	$ 2,420,105	$ 2,381,457	$ 2,422,465	$ 2,384,434	$ 2,501,513	$ 2,290,705	$ 2,344,744	$ 2,360,355	$ 9,608,462	$ 9,497,317	$ 9,545,700	[1]
Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									129,356	140,104	119,382
Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									9,608,462	9,497,317	9,545,700
Grocery Products
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									2,385,291	2,369,317	2,480,367
Grocery Products | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									13	41	38
Grocery Products | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									2,385,304	2,369,358	2,480,405
Refrigerated Foods
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									5,271,061	5,210,741	5,109,881
Refrigerated Foods | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									21,067	16,351	8,591
Refrigerated Foods | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									5,292,128	5,227,092	5,118,472
Jennie-O Turkey Store
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									1,333,459	1,323,783	1,331,013
Jennie-O Turkey Store | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									108,276	123,712	110,753
Jennie-O Turkey Store | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									1,441,735	1,447,495	1,441,766
International & Other
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									618,650	593,476	624,439
International & Other | Intersegment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									0	0	0
International & Other | Operating Segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales									$ 618,650	$ 593,476	$ 624,439

[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.