Business	3 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Business	1—BUSINESS Penford Corporation (which, together with its subsidiary companies, is referred to herein as “Penford” or the “Company”) is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty natural-based ingredient systems for food and industrial applications, including fuel grade ethanol. Penford’s products provide convenient and cost-effective solutions derived from renewable sources. Sales of the Company’s products are generated using a combination of direct sales and distributor agreements. The Company has significant research and development capabilities, which are used in applying the complex chemistry of carbohydrate-based materials and in developing applications to address customer needs. In addition, the Company has specialty processing capabilities for a variety of modified starches. Penford manages its business in two segments: Industrial Ingredients and Food Ingredients. These segments are based on broad categories of end-market users. The Industrial Ingredients segment is a supplier of specialty starches to the paper, packaging and other industries, and is a producer of fuel grade ethanol. The Industrial Ingredients segment also sells the by-products from its corn wet milling manufacturing operations, primarily germ, fiber and gluten to customers who use these by-products as animal feed or to produce corn oil. The Company’s financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A as of November 30, 2012 have been restated to reclassify the proceeds from the sale of by-products to sales rather than as a reduction in cost of sales. The Food Ingredients segment is a developer and manufacturer of specialty starches and dextrins for the food manufacturing and food service industries. See Note 11 for financial information regarding the Company’s business segments. In January 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of the businesses operated by Carolina Starches, LLC and related entities (“Carolina Starches”) for $8.5 million in cash. Carolina Starches manufactures and markets cationic starches produced from potato, corn and tapioca. The acquisition of these businesses provided an important source of raw material to support continued growth in the Food Ingredients business and it broadened the Company’s portfolio of specialty modified industrial starches. See Note 11 for information concerning the integration of the operations of Carolina Starches into the Company’s two business segments.

Business

3 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2012

1—BUSINESS

Penford Corporation (which, together with its subsidiary companies, is referred to herein as “Penford” or the “Company”) is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty natural-based ingredient systems for food and industrial applications, including fuel grade ethanol. Penford’s products provide convenient and cost-effective solutions derived from renewable sources. Sales of the Company’s products are generated using a combination of direct sales and distributor agreements.

The Company has significant research and development capabilities, which are used in applying the complex chemistry of carbohydrate-based materials and in developing applications to address customer needs. In addition, the Company has specialty processing capabilities for a variety of modified starches.

Penford manages its business in two segments: Industrial Ingredients and Food Ingredients. These segments are based on broad categories of end-market users. The Industrial Ingredients segment is a supplier of specialty starches to the paper, packaging and other industries, and is a producer of fuel grade ethanol. The Industrial Ingredients segment also sells the by-products from its corn wet milling manufacturing operations, primarily germ, fiber and gluten to customers who use these by-products as animal feed or to produce corn oil. The Company’s financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A as of November 30, 2012 have been restated to reclassify the proceeds from the sale of by-products to sales rather than as a reduction in cost of sales. The Food Ingredients segment is a developer and manufacturer of specialty starches and dextrins for the food manufacturing and food service industries. See Note 11 for financial information regarding the Company’s business segments.

In January 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of the businesses operated by Carolina Starches, LLC and related entities (“Carolina Starches”) for $8.5 million in cash. Carolina Starches manufactures and markets cationic starches produced from potato, corn and tapioca. The acquisition of these businesses provided an important source of raw material to support continued growth in the Food Ingredients business and it broadened the Company’s portfolio of specialty modified industrial starches. See Note 11 for information concerning the integration of the operations of Carolina Starches into the Company’s two business segments.