DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Business Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (referred to herein as “Pilgrim’s,” “PPC,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar terms) is one of the largest chicken producers in the world, with operations in the United States (“U.S.”), Mexico and Puerto Rico. Pilgrim's products are sold to foodservice, retail and frozen entrée customers. The Company's primary distribution is through retailers, foodservice distributors and restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and in the northern and central regions of Mexico. Additionally, the Company exports chicken products to approximately 95 countries. Pilgrim's fresh chicken products consist of refrigerated (nonfrozen) whole chickens, whole cut-up chickens and selected chicken parts that are either marinated or non-marinated. The Company's prepared chicken products include fully cooked, ready-to-cook and individually frozen chicken parts, strips, nuggets and patties, some of which are either breaded or non-breaded and either marinated or non-marinated. As a vertically integrated company, we control every phase of the production of our products. We operate feed mills, hatcheries, processing plants and distribution centers in 12 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Pilgrim's has approximately 34,200 employees and has the capacity to process more than 34 million birds per week for a total of more than 10 billion pounds of live chicken annually. Approximately 3,800 contract growers supply poultry for the Company's operations. As of March 29, 2015, JBS USA Holdings, Inc. (“JBS USA”), an indirect subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS S.A., beneficially owned 75.3% of the Company's outstanding common stock. Consolidated Financial Statements The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring adjustments unless otherwise disclosed) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 27, 2015. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2014. Pilgrim’s operates on a 52/53-week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday falling on or before December 31. The reader should assume any reference we make to a particular year (for example, 2015) in the notes to these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements applies to our fiscal year and not the calendar year. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. We eliminate all significant affiliate accounts and transactions upon consolidation. The Company measures the financial statements of its Mexico subsidiaries as if the U.S. dollar were the functional currency. Accordingly, we remeasure assets and liabilities, other than non-monetary assets, of the Mexico subsidiaries at current exchange rates. We remeasure non-monetary assets using the historical exchange rate in effect on the date of each asset’s acquisition. We remeasure income and expenses at average exchange rates in effect during the period. Currency exchange gains or losses are included in the line item Foreign currency transaction loss in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Reportable Segment We operate in one reportable business segment, as a producer and seller of chicken products we either produce or purchase for resale. Revenue Recognition We recognize revenue when all of the following circumstances are satisfied: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) price is fixed or determinable, (iii) collectability is reasonably assured and (iv) delivery has occurred. Delivery occurs in the period in which the customer takes title and assumes the risks and rewards of ownership of the products specified in the customer’s purchase order or sales agreement. Revenue is recorded net of estimated incentive offerings including special pricing agreements, promotions and other volume-based incentives. Revisions to these estimates are charged back to net sales in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known. Book Overdraft The majority of the Company's disbursement bank accounts are zero balance accounts where cash needs are funded as checks are presented for payment by the holder. Checks issued pending clearance that result in overdraft balances for accounting purposes are classified as accounts payable and the change in the related balance is reflected in operating activities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new accounting guidance on revenue recognition, which provides for a single five-step model to be applied to all revenue contracts with customers. The new standard also requires additional financial statement disclosures that will enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows relating to customer contracts. Companies have an option to use either a retrospective approach or cumulative effect adjustment approach to implement the standard. There is no option for early adoption. Unless the FASB defers implementation of this new standard, the provisions of the new guidance will be effective as of the beginning of our 2017 fiscal year. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our financial statements and have not yet selected a transition approach to implement the standard.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Business

Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (referred to herein as “Pilgrim’s,” “PPC,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar terms) is one of the largest chicken producers in the world, with operations in the United States (“U.S.”), Mexico and Puerto Rico. Pilgrim's products are sold to foodservice, retail and frozen entrée customers. The Company's primary distribution is through retailers, foodservice distributors and restaurants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and in the northern and central regions of Mexico. Additionally, the Company exports chicken products to approximately 95 countries. Pilgrim's fresh chicken products consist of refrigerated (nonfrozen) whole chickens, whole cut-up chickens and selected chicken parts that are either marinated or non-marinated. The Company's prepared chicken products include fully cooked, ready-to-cook and individually frozen chicken parts, strips, nuggets and patties, some of which are either breaded or non-breaded and either marinated or non-marinated. As a vertically integrated company, we control every phase of the production of our products. We operate feed mills, hatcheries, processing plants and distribution centers in 12 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Pilgrim's has approximately 34,200 employees and has the capacity to process more than 34 million birds per week for a total of more than 10 billion pounds of live chicken annually. Approximately 3,800 contract growers supply poultry for the Company's operations. As of March 29, 2015, JBS USA Holdings, Inc. (“JBS USA”), an indirect subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS S.A., beneficially owned 75.3% of the Company's outstanding common stock.

Consolidated Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal and recurring adjustments unless otherwise disclosed) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 27, 2015. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2014.

Pilgrim’s operates on a 52/53-week fiscal year that ends on the Sunday falling on or before December 31. The reader should assume any reference we make to a particular year (for example, 2015) in the notes to these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements applies to our fiscal year and not the calendar year.

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries. We eliminate all significant affiliate accounts and transactions upon consolidation.

The Company measures the financial statements of its Mexico subsidiaries as if the U.S. dollar were the functional currency. Accordingly, we remeasure assets and liabilities, other than non-monetary assets, of the Mexico subsidiaries at current exchange rates. We remeasure non-monetary assets using the historical exchange rate in effect on the date of each asset’s acquisition. We remeasure income and expenses at average exchange rates in effect during the period. Currency exchange gains or losses are included in the line item Foreign currency transaction loss in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

Reportable Segment

We operate in one reportable business segment, as a producer and seller of chicken products we either produce or purchase for resale.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue when all of the following circumstances are satisfied: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) price is fixed or determinable, (iii) collectability is reasonably assured and (iv) delivery has occurred. Delivery occurs in the period in which the customer takes title and assumes the risks and rewards of ownership of the products specified in the customer’s purchase order or sales agreement. Revenue is recorded net of estimated incentive offerings including special pricing agreements, promotions and other volume-based incentives. Revisions to these estimates are charged back to net sales in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known.

Book Overdraft

The majority of the Company's disbursement bank accounts are zero balance accounts where cash needs are funded as checks are presented for payment by the holder. Checks issued pending clearance that result in overdraft balances for accounting purposes are classified as accounts payable and the change in the related balance is reflected in operating activities on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued new accounting guidance on revenue recognition, which provides for a single five-step model to be applied to all revenue contracts with customers. The new standard also requires additional financial statement disclosures that will enable users to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows relating to customer contracts. Companies have an option to use either a retrospective approach or cumulative effect adjustment approach to implement the standard. There is no option for early adoption. Unless the FASB defers implementation of this new standard, the provisions of the new guidance will be effective as of the beginning of our 2017 fiscal year. We are currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on our financial statements and have not yet selected a transition approach to implement the standard.