Business Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Jan. 02, 2016	Oct. 03, 2015	Jul. 04, 2015	Apr. 04, 2015	Jan. 03, 2015	Sep. 27, 2014	Jun. 28, 2014	Mar. 29, 2014	Jan. 02, 2016	Jan. 03, 2015	Dec. 28, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales		$ 809,675	$ 853,762	$ 859,315	$ 874,694	$ 1,000,203	$ 978,665	$ 1,031,283	$ 946,292	$ 3,397,446	$ 3,956,443	$ 1,802,268
Cost of sales and operating expenses							22,900	24,300	14,900	2,654,025	3,123,171	1,339,819
Selling, general and administrative expense										322,574	374,580	170,825
Depreciation and amortization										269,904	269,517	98,787
Segment operating income/(loss)		32,719	38,808	39,292	31,825	39,662	49,925	75,485	(564)	142,644	164,508	169,566
Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries										73,416	65,609	7,660
Total other expense										(117,280)	(148,665)	(13,548)
Income before income taxes		84,737	$ 502	$ 9,602	$ 3,939	73,580	$ 27,090	$ 50,078	$ (69,296)	98,780	81,452	163,678
Segment assets		4,789,602				5,126,547				4,789,602	5,126,547
Capital expenditures:	[1]									229,848	228,918	118,307
Long-Lived Assets		3,857,814				4,117,935				3,857,814	4,117,935
North America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										1,951,421	2,131,978	1,802,268
Long-Lived Assets		2,394,197				2,422,050				2,394,197	2,422,050
Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										1,066,779	1,438,320	0
Long-Lived Assets		1,226,046				1,408,237				1,226,046	1,408,237
China
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										234,978	229,876	0
Long-Lived Assets		169,832				186,994				169,832	186,994
South America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										68,226	73,241	0
Long-Lived Assets		60,396				93,264				60,396	93,264
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										76,042	83,028	0
Long-Lived Assets		7,343				7,390				7,343	7,390
Feed Ingredients [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										2,074,333	2,421,462	1,788,563
Cost of sales and operating expenses										1,613,402	1,864,835	1,329,057
Gross Margin										460,931	556,627	459,506
Selling, general and administrative expense										178,624	205,484	149,160
Acquisition costs										0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										165,854	158,871	93,120
Segment operating income/(loss)										116,453	192,272	217,226
Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries										1,521	1,842	0
Segment income										117,974	194,114	217,226
Segment assets		2,439,444				2,667,601				2,439,444	2,667,601
Capital expenditures:										153,894	135,923	84,616
Food Ingredients [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										1,094,918	1,248,352	0
Cost of sales and operating expenses										863,562	1,029,488	0
Gross Margin										231,356	218,864	0
Selling, general and administrative expense										103,301	118,716	0
Acquisition costs										0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										66,817	73,274	0
Segment operating income/(loss)										61,238	26,874	0
Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Segment income										61,238	26,874	0
Segment assets		1,448,014				1,730,794				1,448,014	1,730,794
Capital expenditures:										49,066	61,657	0
Fuel Ingredients [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										228,195	286,629	13,705
Cost of sales and operating expenses										177,061	228,848	10,762
Gross Margin										51,134	57,781	2,943
Selling, general and administrative expense										7,264	8,596	928
Acquisition costs										0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization										26,711	27,898	368
Segment operating income/(loss)										17,159	21,287	1,647
Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries										71,895	63,767	7,660
Segment income										89,054	85,054	9,307
Segment assets		631,968				693,921				631,968	693,921
Capital expenditures:										19,478	21,392	162
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										0	0	0
Cost of sales and operating expenses										0	0	0
Gross Margin										0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense										33,385	41,784	20,737
Acquisition costs										8,299	24,667	23,271
Depreciation and amortization										10,522	9,474	5,299
Segment operating income/(loss)										(52,206)	(75,925)	(49,307)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Segment income										(52,206)	(75,925)	(49,307)
Segment assets		270,176				34,231				270,176	34,231
Capital expenditures:										7,410	9,946	33,529
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Sales										3,397,446	3,956,443	1,802,268
Cost of sales and operating expenses										2,654,025	3,123,171	1,339,819
Gross Margin										743,421	833,272	462,449
Selling, general and administrative expense										322,574	374,580	170,825
Acquisition costs										8,299	24,667	23,271
Depreciation and amortization										269,904	269,517	98,787
Segment operating income/(loss)										142,644	164,508	169,566
Equity in net income of unconsolidated subsidiaries										73,416	65,609	7,660
Segment income										216,060	230,117	$ 177,226
Segment assets		$ 4,789,602				$ 5,126,547				$ 4,789,602	$ 5,126,547

[1] Excludes the capital assets acquired in an immaterial acquisition in fiscal 2015, the VION Acquisition and Custom Blenders acquisition in fiscal 2014 of approximately $984.2 million, the Terra Transaction and the Rothsay Acquisition in fiscal 2013 of approximately $167.0 million