SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 30, 2012	Dec. 25, 2011	Dec. 26, 2010
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 199,624	$ (128,991)	$ 14,605
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(90,327)	(135,968)	(179,332)
Purchases of investment securities	162	4,596	17,201
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities	688	15,852	68,100
Proceeds from business dispositions to Swift Pork Company	0	13,000	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to JBS Trading International, Inc.	0	24,479	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	29,400	29,044	14,698
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(60,401)	(58,189)	(113,735)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on notes payable to JBS USA	50,000	0	0
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA	0	50,000	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	851,400	965,689	2,438,855
Payments on long-term debt	(1,110,711)	(881,833)	(3,197,399)
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary	0	2,504	7,637
Payment of capitalized loan costs	0	4,395	62,788
Cash dividends paid		0
Proceeds from sale of common stock	198,282	0	800,000
Other financing activities	0	(107)	(511)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(111,029)	126,850	(29,480)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,623)	(4,138)	(1,613)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	26,571	(64,468)	(130,223)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	41,609	106,077	236,300
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	68,180	41,609	106,077
Parent Company [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	174,046	(91,621)	22,412
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(75,985)	(115,791)	(162,264)
Purchases of investment securities	(73)	0	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities	57	0	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to Swift Pork Company	0	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to JBS Trading International, Inc.	0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	26,911	26,503	9,640
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(49,090)	(89,288)	(152,624)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on notes payable to JBS USA	(50,000)
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA		50,000
Proceeds from long-term debt	851,400	965,689	2,438,855
Payments on long-term debt	(1,110,711)	(881,833)	(3,153,848)
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary		(2,504)	(7,637)
Payment of capitalized loan costs		(4,395)	(62,788)
Cash dividends paid		0
Proceeds from sale of common stock	198,282		800,000
Other financing activities	0	0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(111,029)	126,957	14,582
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	13,927	(53,952)	(115,630)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	13,733	67,685	183,315
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	27,657	13,733	67,685
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,178	8,973	3,496
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(2,208)	(9,108)	(3,273)
Purchases of investment securities	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities	0	0	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to Swift Pork Company	0	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to JBS Trading International, Inc.	0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	0	165	(223)
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(2,208)	(8,943)	(3,496)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on notes payable to JBS USA	0
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA		0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	0
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary		0	0
Payment of capitalized loan costs		0	0
Cash dividends paid		0
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0		0
Other financing activities	0	0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(30)	30	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	30	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	30	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	23,653	(19,385)	(10,147)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(12,134)	(11,069)	(13,795)
Purchases of investment securities	(89)	(4,596)	(17,201)
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities	631	15,852	68,100
Proceeds from business dispositions to Swift Pork Company	0	13,000
Proceeds from business dispositions to JBS Trading International, Inc.	0	24,479
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	2,489	2,376	5,281
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(9,103)	40,042	42,385
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on notes payable to JBS USA	0
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA		0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	(43,551)
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary		0	0
Payment of capitalized loan costs		0	0
Cash dividends paid		(25,000)
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0		0
Other financing activities	(253)	(2,065)	(1,667)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(253)	(27,065)	(45,218)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1,623)	(4,138)	(1,613)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	12,674	(10,546)	(14,593)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	27,846	38,392	52,985
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	40,523	27,846	38,392
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(253)	(26,958)	(1,156)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Purchases of investment securities	0	0	0
Proceeds from sale or maturity of investment securities	0	0	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to Swift Pork Company	0	0
Proceeds from business dispositions to JBS Trading International, Inc.	0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	0	0	0
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on notes payable to JBS USA	0
Proceeds from note payable to JBS USA		0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	0
Purchase of remaining interest in subsidiary		0	0
Payment of capitalized loan costs		0	0
Cash dividends paid		25,000
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0		0
Other financing activities	253	1,958	1,156
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	253	26,958	1,156
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0