Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2013

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Debt [Table Text Block]

Debt consists of the following (in thousands):

	December 28, 2013		December 29, 2012
Credit Agreement and Former Credit Agreement:
Revolving Credit Facility	$	286,676	$	—
Term Loan	340,030		—
8.5% Senior Notes due 2018	250,000		250,000
Other Notes and Obligations	10,129		224
	886,835		250,224
Less Current Maturities	19,888		82
	$	866,947	$	250,142

Schedule Of Debt Redemption Prices [Table Text Block]

On and after December 15, 2014, the Company may redeem all or, from time to time, a part of the 8.5% Notes (including any additional 8.5% Notes) upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice, at the following redemption prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount), plus accrued and unpaid interest on the 8.5% Notes, if any, to the applicable redemption date (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on December 15 of the years indicated below:

Year	Percentage
2014	104.250%
2015	102.125%
2016 and thereafter	100.000%

On and after January 15, 2017, Darling may redeem all or, from time to time, a part of the 5.375% Notes (including any additional Notes), at the following redemption prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount), plus accrued and unpaid interest on the 5.375% Notes, if any, to, but excluding, the applicable redemption date (subject to the right of holders of record on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date), if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on January 15 of the years indicated below:

Year	Percentage
2017	104.031%
2018	102.688%
2019	101.344%
2020 and thereafter	100.000%

Credit Agreement and the Notes elements [Table Text Block]

The Credit Agreement and the 8.5% Notes consisted of the following elements at December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, respectively (in thousands):

	December 28, 2013		December 29, 2012
Senior Notes
8.5% Notes due 2018	$	250,000	$	250,000
Credit Agreement and Former Credit Agreement:
Term Loan	$	340,030	$	—
Revolving Credit Facility:
Maximum availability	$	1,000,000	$	415,000
Borrowings outstanding	286,676		—
Letters of credit issued	32,662		30,119
Availability	$	680,662	$	384,881

Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]

Maturities of long-term debt at December 28, 2013 follow (in thousands):

	Contractual Debt Payment
2014	$	19,888
2015	19,502
2016	27,487
2017	27,027
2018	792,527
thereafter	404
	$	886,835