General (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 18, 2013 shares	Jan. 02, 2016 USD ($) segment facilities $ / shares	Oct. 03, 2015 $ / shares	Jul. 04, 2015 $ / shares	Apr. 04, 2015 $ / shares	Jan. 03, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 27, 2014 $ / shares	Jun. 28, 2014 $ / shares	Mar. 29, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares	Jan. 02, 2016 USD ($) weeks segment facilities $ / shares shares	Jan. 03, 2015 USD ($) weeks $ / shares shares	Dec. 28, 2013 USD ($) weeks $ / shares shares	Jan. 07, 2014 USD ($) continent	Dec. 29, 2013 segment	Oct. 28, 2013 USD ($)
General [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments | segment		3								3				3
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Number Of Weeks Year To Date | weeks										52	53	52
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Investments Classified As Cash Equivalents, Original Maturity										3 months
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite Lived Intangible Assets:		$ 982,602				$ 996,992				$ 982,602	$ 996,992
Goodwill [Abstract]
Goodwill		$ 1,233,102				$ 1,320,419				1,233,102	1,320,419	$ 701,637
Basic:
Net income										$ 78,531	$ 64,215	$ 108,967
Shares | shares										165,031,000	164,627,000	119,526,000
Basic earnings per share | $ / shares		$ 0.51	$ (0.06)	$ 0.02	$ 0.00	$ 0.42	$ 0.09	$ 0.20	$ (0.32)	$ 0.48	$ 0.39	$ 0.91
Effect of dilutive securities: [Abstract]
Add: Option shares in the money and dilutive effect of nonvested stock | shares										168,000	806,000	848,000
Less: Pro-forma treasury shares | shares										(80,000)	(374,000)	(450,000)
Diluted:
Net Income										$ 78,531	$ 64,215	$ 108,967
Shares | shares										165,119,000	165,059,000	119,924,000
Per Share | $ / shares		$ 0.51	$ (0.06)	$ 0.02	$ 0.00	$ 0.42	$ 0.09	$ 0.20	$ (0.32)	$ 0.48	$ 0.39	$ 0.91
Stock Based Compensation [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation expense										$ 9,000	$ 20,900	$ 9,400
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit from Compensation Expense										3,300	5,900	3,700
Payments Related to Tax Withholding for Share-based Compensation										(400)
Excess tax benefit/(expense) from stock-based compensation										(389)	2,420	1,138
Financial Instruments [Abstract]
Long-term Debt		$ 1,960,000				$ 2,152,440				1,960,000	2,152,440
Foreign currency translation										(164,827)	(125,884)	(14,502)
Foreign currency gains/(losses)									$ 12,600	(4,911)	(13,548)	28,107
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), Unrealized										$ 0	$ 0	27,516
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member] | Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Financial Instruments [Abstract]
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), Unrealized												$ 27,500
Stock Options [Member]
Antidilutive Securities [Abstract]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount | shares										790,092	319,240	135,733
Non Vested Stock [Member]
Antidilutive Securities [Abstract]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount | shares										587,961	751,444	57,257
Vion Ingredients [Member]
General [Line Items]
Expected Business Combination, Number of Continents in which Entity Operates | continent													5
Goodwill [Abstract]
Goodwill													$ 702,672
Rothsay [Member]
Goodwill [Abstract]
Goodwill															$ 262,797
Routes [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite Lived Intangible Assets:		390,888				437,816				$ 390,888	$ 437,816
Permits [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite Lived Intangible Assets:		494,754				523,398				494,754	523,398
Non-compete agreements [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite Lived Intangible Assets:		6,996				7,583				6,996	7,583
Trade Names [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite Lived Intangible Assets:		75,825				$ 11,983				$ 75,825	11,983
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										10 years
Trade Names [Member] | Vion Ingredients [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite Lived Intangible Assets:		$ 65,100								$ 65,100
Minimum [Member]
General [Line Items]
Number of Processing and Transfer Facilities | facilities		200								200
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Number Of Weeks Year To Date | weeks										52
Minimum [Member] | Buildings and improvements [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										15 years
Minimum [Member] | Machinery and equipment [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										3 years
Minimum [Member] | Vehicles [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										3 years
Minimum [Member] | Aircraft [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										7 years
Minimum [Member] | Routes [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										5 years
Minimum [Member] | Permits [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										10 years
Minimum [Member] | Non-compete agreements [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										3 years
Minimum [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										4 years
Maximum [Member]
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Number Of Weeks Year To Date | weeks										53
Maximum [Member] | Buildings and improvements [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										30 years
Maximum [Member] | Machinery and equipment [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										10 years
Maximum [Member] | Vehicles [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										8 years
Maximum [Member] | Aircraft [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										10 years
Maximum [Member] | Routes [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										21 years
Maximum [Member] | Permits [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										20 years
Maximum [Member] | Non-compete agreements [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										7 years
Maximum [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life										15 years
Common Stock [Member]
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Issuance of common stock (in shares) | shares	46,000,000
Best Hides GmbH [Member] | Vion Ingredients [Member]
General [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired													60.00%
Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Financial Instruments [Abstract]
Foreign currency gains/(losses)											$ (12,600)