SUPPLEMENTAL GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 25, 2012
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 20,639	$ 29,382
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(25,778)	(16,670)
Purchases of investment securities	0	(88)
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	1,660	3,066
Cash used in investing activities	(24,118)	(13,692)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.	0	(50,000)
Proceeds from long-term debt	288,500	183,200
Payments on long-term debt	(311,005)	(341,802)
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0	198,379
Other financing activities	0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(22,505)	(10,223)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,364	494
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(24,620)	5,961
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	68,180	41,609
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	43,560	47,570
Parent Company [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	30,076	31,926
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(21,547)	(13,758)
Purchases of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	1,054	2,451
Cash used in investing activities	(20,493)	(11,307)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.	0	(50,000)
Proceeds from long-term debt	288,500	183,200
Payments on long-term debt	(311,005)	(341,802)
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0	198,379
Other financing activities	0	0
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(22,505)	(10,223)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(12,922)	10,396
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	27,657	13,733
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	14,735	24,129
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,445	291
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(1,445)	(321)
Purchases of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	0	0
Cash used in investing activities	(1,445)	(321)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0	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	0	(30)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	30
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(10,923)	(2,980)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	(2,786)	(2,591)
Purchases of investment securities	0	(88)
Proceeds from property sales and disposals	606	615
Cash used in investing activities	(2,180)	(2,064)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0	0
Other financing activities	41	145
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	41	145
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	1,364	494
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(11,698)	(4,405)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	40,523	27,846
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	28,825	23,441
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	41	145
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Purchases 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:
Payment of note payable to JBS USA Holdings, Inc.	0	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Proceeds from sale of common stock	0	0
Other financing activities	(41)	(145)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(41)	(145)
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