SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 23, 2012	Sep. 25, 2011	Sep. 23, 2012	Sep. 25, 2011
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities			$ 155,961	$ (129,480)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment			(62,110)	(121,869)
Purchases of investment securities			(162)	(4,536)
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities			688	14,631
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	16,200	2,600	28,687	7,502
Cash used in investing activities			(32,897)	(104,272)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	50,000
Proceeds from long-term debt			595,800	804,689
Payments on revolving line of credit, long-term borrowings and capital lease obligations			(853,008)	(669,832)
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			(50,000)	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock			198,282	0
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary			0	(2,504)
Payment of capitalized loan costs			0	(4,395)
Other financing activities			0	(106)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(108,926)	177,852
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(717)	(3,273)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			13,421	(59,173)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			41,609	106,077
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	55,030	46,904	55,030	46,904
Parent Company [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities			138,384	(127,437)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment			(53,577)	(106,526)
Purchases of investment securities			(73)	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities			57	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals			27,360	5,744
Cash used in investing activities			(26,233)	(100,782)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	50,000
Proceeds from long-term debt			595,800	804,689
Payments on revolving line of credit, long-term borrowings and capital lease obligations			(853,008)	(669,832)
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			(50,000)	50,000
Proceeds from sale of common stock			198,282
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary				(2,504)
Payment of capitalized loan costs				(4,395)
Other financing activities			0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(108,926)	177,958
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			3,225	(50,261)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			13,733	67,685
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	16,958	17,424	16,958	17,424
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities			1,299	8,249
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment			(1,329)	(8,414)
Purchases of investment securities			0	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities			0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals			0	165
Cash used in investing activities			(1,329)	(8,249)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt			0	0
Payments on revolving line of credit, long-term borrowings and capital lease obligations			0	0
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock			0
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary				0
Payment of capitalized loan costs				0
Other financing activities			0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities			0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			(30)	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			30	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities			16,257	(9,705)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment			(7,204)	(6,929)
Purchases of investment securities			(89)	(4,536)
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities			631	14,631
Proceeds from property sales and disposals			1,327	1,593
Cash used in investing activities			(5,335)	4,759
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt			0	0
Payments on revolving line of credit, long-term borrowings and capital lease obligations			0	0
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock			0
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary				0
Payment of capitalized loan costs				0
Other financing activities			21	(693)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities			21	(693)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			(717)	(3,273)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			10,226	(8,912)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			27,846	38,392
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	38,072	29,480	38,072	29,480
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities			21	(587)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment			0	0
Purchases of investment securities			0	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities			0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals			0	0
Cash used in investing activities			0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt			0	0
Payments on revolving line of credit, long-term borrowings and capital lease obligations			0	0
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.			0	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock			0
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary				0
Payment of capitalized loan costs				0
Other financing activities			(21)	587
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities			(21)	587
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0