Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2005	Dec. 28, 2013		Dec. 29, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of period		$ 137,797,000		$ 123,553,000
Service cost		507,000		326,000		1,178,000
Acquisition		4,102,000		0
Interest cost		5,307,000		5,451,000		6,052,000
Employee Contributions		20,000		0
Actuarial loss		(12,904,000)		13,084,000
Benefits paid		(4,761,000)		(4,617,000)
Other		(102,000)		0
Projected benefit obligation at end of period		129,966,000		137,797,000		123,553,000
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of period		106,519,000		96,235,000
Actual return on plan assets		13,147,000		13,026,000
Employer contribution		3,973,000		1,875,000
Benefits paid		(4,761,000)		(4,617,000)
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		118,898,000		106,519,000		96,235,000
Funded status		(11,068,000)		(31,278,000)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets consist of:
Non-current assets		29,000		0
Non-current liability		(11,097,000)		(31,278,000)
Net amount recognized		(11,068,000)		(31,278,000)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss consist of:
Net actuarial loss		26,738,000		50,714,000
Prior service cost		32,000		174,000
Net amount recognized		26,770,000	[1]	50,888,000	[1]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Tax		10,400,000		19,400,000
Accumulated benefit obligation		125,939,000		137,797,000
Net pension cost includes the following components:
Service cost		507,000		326,000		1,178,000
Interest cost		5,307,000		5,451,000		6,052,000
Expected return on plan assets		(7,277,000)		(6,709,000)		(6,888,000)
Net amortization and deferral		5,261,000		4,845,000		2,814,000
Curtailment		83,000		14,000		63,000
Net pension cost		3,881,000		3,927,000		3,219,000
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Reclassification adjustments		3,184,000		2,912,000		1,668,000
Actuarial (loss)/gain recognized during the period		11,869,000		(4,145,000)		(11,806,000)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Amortization, Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost Recognized in Net Periodic Pension Cost, Net of Tax		87,000		64,000		55,000
Prior service cost arising during the period		0		0		(63,000)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		15,140,000		(1,169,000)
Estimated amount that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic pension cost in fiscal 2012:
Net actuarial loss		2,078,000
Prior service cost		16,000
Total		2,094,000
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate		4.66%		3.90%		4.50%
Rate of compensation increase		3.00%		0.00%		0.00%
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the employee benefit pension plans:
Discount rate		3.96%		4.50%		5.55%
Rate of increase in future compensation levels		0.00%		0.00%		4.16%
Expected long-term rate of return on assets		7.35%		7.35%		7.85%
Equity Securities		100.00%		100.00%
Total		100.00%		100.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2012		5,770,000
2013		6,179,000
2014		6,444,000
2015		6,681,000
2016		7,002,000
Years 2017 – 2021		39,800,000
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions		3,149,000		3,200,000		3,100,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		77,508,000		77,720,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		41,390,000		28,799,000
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		0		0
Equity Securities [Member]
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the employee benefit pension plans:
Equity Securities		51.70%		61.30%
Total		51.70%		61.30%
Fixed Income, Long Term [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		60,654,000		40,255,000
Fixed Income, Long Term [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		22,906,000		14,064,000
Fixed Income, Long Term [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		37,748,000		26,191,000
Fixed Income, Long Term [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		0		0
Fixed Income, Short Term [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		771,000		954,000
Fixed Income, Short Term [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		0		542,000
Fixed Income, Short Term [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		771,000		412,000
Fixed Income, Short Term [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		0		0
Equity Securities, Domestic [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		40,028,000		44,997,000
Equity Securities, Domestic [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		38,137,000		43,563,000
Equity Securities, Domestic [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		1,891,000		1,434,000
Equity Securities, Domestic [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		0		0
Equity Securities, International [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		17,445,000		20,313,000
Equity Securities, International [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		16,465,000		19,551,000
Equity Securities, International [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		980,000		762,000
Equity Securities, International [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at end of period		0		0
Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the employee benefit pension plans:
Equity Securities		48.30%		38.70%
Total		48.30%		38.70%
Western Conference Of Teamsters Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions		1,254,000	[2]	1,371,000	[2]	1,386,000	[2]
Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions		782,000	[3],[4]	746,000	[3],[4]	705,000	[3],[4]
Multiemployer Plans, IRS Extended Amortization Period	10 years
Other Multiemployer Plans [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions		$ 1,113,000		$ 1,083,000		$ 1,009,000
Maximum [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Multiemployer Plan, Contributions To Individual Plan, Percent		5.00%
Darling Canada Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		5.00%
Darling Canada Pension Plan [Member] | Equity Securities, Domestic [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		30.00%
Darling Canada Pension Plan [Member] | Equity Securities, International [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		30.00%
Darling Canada Pension Plan [Member] | Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations		35.00%

[1] Amounts do not include deferred taxes of $10.4 million and $19.4 million at December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, respectively.

[2] The Company has several plants that participate in the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan under collective bargaining agreements that require minimum funding contributions. Certain of these agreements have expired and are being renegotiated with others having expiration dates through May 31, 2016.

[3] In July 2005 this plan received a 10 year extension from the IRS for amortizing unfunded liabilities.

[4] The Company has several processing plants that participate in the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Plan under collective bargaining agreements that require minimum funding contributions. Certain of these agreements have expired and are being renegotiated with others having expiration dates through April 30, 2016.