EXIT OR DISPOSAL ACTIVITIES (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		54 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		54 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		39 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 25, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013 Facility Closing [Member]	Mar. 25, 2012 Facility Closing [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Facility Closing [Member]		Mar. 31, 2013 Administrative Integration [Member]	Mar. 25, 2012 Administrative Integration [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Administrative Integration [Member]
Earliest implementation date						Oct. 01, 2008	[1]			Jan. 01, 2010	[2]
Latest expected completion date						Sep. 01, 2014	[1]			Sep. 01, 2012	[2]
Positions eliminated			2,890			2,410	[1]			480	[2]
Costs incurred and expected to be incurred:
Employee-related costs			$ 3,356			$ 2,492	[1]			$ 864	[2]
Asset impairment costs			50,145			13,249	[1]			36,896	[2]
Inventory valuation costs			344			344	[1]			0	[2]
Other exit or disposal costs			19,320			15,208	[1]			4,112	[2]
Total exit or disposal costs			73,165			31,293	[1]			41,872	[2]
Costs incurred since earliest implementation date:
Employee-related costs	0	78	3,356	0	78	2,492	[1]	0	0	864	[2]
Asset impairment costs	0	1,342	50,145	0	960	13,249	[1]	0	382	36,896	[2]
Inventory valuation costs			344			344	[1]			0	[2]
Other exit or disposal costs	484	1,543	16,819	484	1,543	12,707	[1]	0	0	4,112	[2]
Total exit or disposal costs	$ 484	$ 2,963	$ 70,664	$ 484	$ 2,581	$ 28,792	[1]	$ 0	$ 382	$ 41,872	[2]

[1] Significant facilities closed included one processing plant in 2008, two processing plants in 2009, two processing plants in the transition period and one processing plant in 2011. The transition period began September 27, 2009 and ended December 27, 2009 and resulted from the Company's change in its fiscal year end from the Saturday nearest September 30 each year to the last Sunday in December of each year.

[2] Company management implemented certain activities to integrate the administrative functions of the Company into those of JBS USA. These included the closures of administrative offices in Georgia and Texas.