Segment Reporting - Operating Profit (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jul. 24, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 26, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 24, 2016 USD ($) segment	Jul. 26, 2015 USD ($)
Operating profit and other financial information
Number of reportable business segments \| segment			5
Sales	$ 2,302,376	$ 2,188,587	$ 6,895,283	$ 6,863,005
Segment Operating Profit	274,790	231,159	958,145	774,822
Net interest and investment expense (income)	673	2,941	5,663	6,836
General corporate expense	2,922	5,473	32,111	18,550
Noncontrolling interest	122	18	215	964
EARNINGS BEFORE INCOME TAXES	274,117	228,219	952,482	767,987
Intersegment sales
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	29,577	29,699	96,256	109,270
Operating segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	2,302,376	2,188,587	6,895,283	6,863,005
Segment Operating Profit	277,590	236,615	990,041	792,409
Intersegment elimination
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	(29,577)	(29,699)	(96,256)	(109,270)
Grocery Products
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	399,342	388,094	1,193,032	1,195,110
Grocery Products \| Operating segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	399,342	388,094	1,193,032	1,195,110
Segment Operating Profit	53,344	53,108	185,727	149,810
Refrigerated Foods
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	1,155,297	1,056,125	3,409,897	3,222,851
Refrigerated Foods \| Intersegment sales
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	1,648	2,440	7,635	10,183
Refrigerated Foods \| Operating segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	1,156,945	1,058,565	3,417,532	3,233,034
Segment Operating Profit	120,702	97,692	417,612	313,681
Jennie-O Turkey Store
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	403,953	336,533	1,199,559	1,215,464
Jennie-O Turkey Store \| Intersegment sales
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	27,921	27,241	88,604	99,023
Jennie-O Turkey Store \| Operating segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	431,874	363,774	1,288,163	1,314,487
Segment Operating Profit	56,147	35,374	237,128	202,990
Specialty Foods
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	212,197	282,774	722,460	833,472
Specialty Foods \| Intersegment sales
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	8	18	17	64
Specialty Foods \| Operating segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	212,205	282,792	722,477	833,536
Segment Operating Profit	27,089	31,190	90,735	70,910
International & Other
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	131,587	125,061	370,335	396,108
International & Other \| Operating segment
Operating profit and other financial information
Sales	131,587	125,061	370,335	396,108
Segment Operating Profit	$ 20,308	$ 19,251	$ 58,839	$ 55,018

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This element represents the income or loss from continuing operations attributable to the economic entity which may also be defined as revenue less expenses from ongoing operations, after income or loss from equity method investments, but before income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Amount of Net Income (Loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest.

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Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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