Derivatives

12 Months Ended

Dec. 28, 2024

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

The Company’s operations are exposed to market risks relating to commodity prices that affect the Company’s cost of raw materials, finished product prices and energy costs and the risk of changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company makes limited use of derivative instruments to manage cash flow risks related to natural gas usage, diesel fuel usage, inventory, forecasted sales and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company does not use derivative instruments for trading purposes.

At December 28, 2024, the Company had foreign currency options and forward contracts, interest rate swaps and corn options and forward contracts outstanding that qualified and were designated for hedge accounting as well as corn options and forward contracts and foreign currency forward contracts that did not qualify and were not designated for hedge accounting.

Cash Flow Hedges

In fiscal 2023, the Company entered into interest rate swaps that are designated as cash flow hedges. The notional amount of these swaps totaled $900.0 million. Under the contracts, the Company is obligated to pay a weighted average rate of 4.007% while receiving the 1-month SOFR rate. Under the terms of the interest rate swaps, the Company hedged a portion of its variable rate debt into the first quarter of 2026. At December 28, 2024, the aggregate fair value of these interest rate swaps was approximately $4.2 million. These amounts are included in other current assets, other assets, accrued expenses and noncurrent liabilities on the balance sheet, with an offset recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. At December 30, 2023, the aggregate fair value of these interest rate swaps was approximately $3.7 million. These amounts are included in other current assets, accrued expenses and noncurrent liabilities on the balance sheet, with an offset recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss.

In fiscal 2023, the Company also entered into cross currency swaps that are designated as cash flow hedges. The notional amount of these swaps was €519.2 million. Under the contracts, the Company is obligated to pay a 4.6% euro denominated fixed rate while receiving a weighted average U.S. dollar fixed rate of 5.799%. Under the terms of the cross currency swaps, the Company hedged its intercompany notes receivable into the first quarter of 2025. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the cash flow hedge are initially recorded as gains and/or losses as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. We immediately reclassify from accumulated other comprehensive loss to earnings an amount to offset the remeasurement recognized in earnings associated with the respective intercompany loan. Additionally, we reclassify amounts from accumulated other comprehensive loss associated with the interest rate differential between the U.S. dollar and euro to interest expense. At December 28, 2024, the aggregate fair value of these cross currency swaps was approximately $22.2 million. These amounts are included in other current assets on the balance sheet, with an offset recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. At December 30, 2023, the aggregate fair value of these cross currency swaps was approximately $10.8 million. These amounts are included in other current assets and noncurrent liabilities on the balance sheet, with an offset recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss.

In fiscal 2024, fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022, the Company entered into foreign exchange option and forward contracts that are considered cash flow hedges. Under the terms of the foreign exchange contracts, the Company hedged a portion of its forecasted sales in currencies other than the functional currency through the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. At December 28, 2024, the aggregate fair value of these foreign exchange contracts was approximately $32.6 million. These amounts are included in other assets, accrued expenses and noncurrent liabilities on the balance sheet, with an offset recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. At December 30, 2023, the aggregate fair value of these foreign exchange contracts was approximately $15.9 million, respectively.

These amounts are included in other current assets and accrued expenses on the balance sheet, with an offset recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss.

In fiscal 2024, the Company entered into corn option and forward contracts that are considered cash flow hedges. Under the terms of the corn option and forward contracts the Company hedged a portion of its forecasted sales of BBP through the second quarter of fiscal 2025. At December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, the aggregate fair value of the corn contracts was approximately $0.1 million and zero, respectively. These amounts are included in other current assets and accrued expenses on the balance sheet.

The Company may enter into soybean meal forward contracts, natural gas swap contracts and heating oil swap and option contracts from time to time. There were no open designated soybean meal forward, natural gas swap or heating oil swap and option contracts entered into by the Company at December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively.

At December 28, 2024, the Company had the following outstanding forward contract amounts that were entered into to hedge the future payments of intercompany note transactions, foreign currency transactions in currencies other than the functional currency and forecasted transactions in currencies other than the functional currency (in thousands):


Functional Currency		Contract Currency
Type	Amount	Type	Amount
Brazilian real	515,922	Euro	80,054
Brazilian real	2,864,438	U.S. Dollar	506,181
Euro	37,123	U.S. Dollar	39,104
Euro	87,275	Polish zloty	373,446
Euro	10,875	Japanese yen	1,753,983
Euro	25,413	Chinese renminbi	195,569
Euro	18,141	Australian dollar	29,770
Euro	4,075	British pound	3,384

Polish zloty	47,915	Euro	11,211
Polish zloty	469	U.S. dollar	116
British pound	346	Euro	416
British pound	247	U.S. dollar	312
Japanese yen	23,557	U.S. dollar	154
U.S. dollar	71	Japanese yen	10,807
U.S. dollar	562,340	Euro	519,182

Australian dollar	478	U.S. dollar	305

The above foreign currency contracts had an aggregate fair value of approximately $14.3 million and are included in other current assets, accrued expenses and noncurrent liabilities at December 28, 2024.

The Company estimates the amount that will be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 28, 2024 into earnings over the next 12 months will be approximately $36.6 million. As of December 28, 2024, no amounts have been reclassified into earnings as a result of the discontinuance of cash flow hedges.

The table below summarizes the effect of derivatives not designated as hedges on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 28, 2024, December 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 (in thousands):


		Loss or (Gain) Recognized in Income on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges
		For The Year Ended
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	Location	December 28, 2024		December 30, 2023		December 31, 2022
Foreign exchange	Foreign currency loss/(gain)	$	(3,466)	$	(2,031)	$	42,690
Foreign exchange	Total net sales	966		(1,789)		(1,108)
Foreign exchange	Cost of sales and operating expenses	(270)		(294)		(949)
Foreign exchange	Selling, general and administrative expense	16,908		(7,109)		(4,200)
Corn options and futures	Net sales	652		1,945		(2,092)
Corn options and futures	Cost of sales and operating expenses	(1,295)		(3,085)		5,447



Heating oil swaps and options	Selling, general and administrative expense	—		49		122
Soybean meal	Total net sales	—		282		(1,730)

Total		$	13,495	$	(12,032)	$	38,180

At December 28, 2024, the Company had forward purchase agreements in place for purchases of approximately $128.7 million of natural gas and diesel fuel. The Company intends to take physical delivery of the commodities under the forward purchase agreements and accordingly, these contracts are not subject to the requirements of fair value accounting because they qualify as normal purchases.