Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Financial Information (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 31, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012	Jul. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2011
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 311,474	$ 229,708	$ 102,475	$ 319,845
Inventories	1,019,339	961,576
Other current assets	469,515	452,181
Total Current Assets	1,800,328	1,643,465
PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT	1,101,036	1,096,089
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES AND INTERCOMPANY	0	0
OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill	3,053,246	3,054,618
Other intangible assets - net	3,162,025	3,187,007
Other noncurrent assets	145,475	134,047
Total Other Noncurrent Assets	6,360,746	6,375,672
Total Assets	9,262,110	9,115,226
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES	710,469	616,972
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt	2,019,875	2,020,543
Deferred income taxes	995,391	992,692
Other noncurrent liabilities	312,922	321,633
Total Noncurrent Liabilities	3,328,188	3,334,868
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	5,223,453	5,163,386
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	9,262,110	9,115,226
The J.M. Smucker Company (Parent) [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	195,817	108,281	75	206,845
Inventories	0	0
Other current assets	384,865	334,220
Total Current Assets	580,682	442,501
PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT	226,619	220,354
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES AND INTERCOMPANY	5,646,246	5,684,496
OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill	981,606	981,606
Other intangible assets - net	433,538	435,713
Other noncurrent assets	69,595	59,992
Total Other Noncurrent Assets	1,484,739	1,477,311
Total Assets	7,938,286	7,824,662
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES	376,036	323,608
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt	2,019,875	2,020,543
Deferred income taxes	105,729	104,822
Other noncurrent liabilities	213,193	212,303
Total Noncurrent Liabilities	2,338,797	2,337,668
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	5,223,453	5,163,386
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	7,938,286	7,824,662
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Inventories	154,103	161,411
Other current assets	12,068	3,499
Total Current Assets	166,171	164,910
PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT	400,411	389,163
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES AND INTERCOMPANY	4,123,437	4,241,145
OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets - net	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	13,529	11,137
Total Other Noncurrent Assets	13,529	11,137
Total Assets	4,703,548	4,806,355
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES	94,826	101,714
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	311
Other noncurrent liabilities	20,002	20,031
Total Noncurrent Liabilities	20,002	20,342
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	4,588,720	4,684,299
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	4,703,548	4,806,355
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	115,657	121,427	102,400	113,000
Inventories	882,831	815,030
Other current assets	72,582	114,462
Total Current Assets	1,071,070	1,050,919
PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT	474,006	486,572
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES AND INTERCOMPANY	580,143	702,550
OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill	2,071,640	2,073,012
Other intangible assets - net	2,728,487	2,751,294
Other noncurrent assets	62,351	62,918
Total Other Noncurrent Assets	4,862,478	4,887,224
Total Assets	6,987,697	7,127,265
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES	239,607	191,650
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	889,662	887,559
Other noncurrent liabilities	79,727	89,299
Total Noncurrent Liabilities	969,389	976,858
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	5,778,701	5,958,757
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	6,987,697	7,127,265
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Inventories	(17,595)	(14,865)
Other current assets	0	0
Total Current Assets	(17,595)	(14,865)
PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT	0	0
INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES AND INTERCOMPANY	(10,349,826)	(10,628,191)
OTHER NONCURRENT ASSETS
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets - net	0	0
Other noncurrent assets	0	0
Total Other Noncurrent Assets	0	0
Total Assets	(10,367,421)	(10,643,056)
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES	0	0
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total Noncurrent Liabilities	0	0
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	(10,367,421)	(10,643,056)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (10,367,421)	$ (10,643,056)