(7) The Company has several defined benefit pension plans and defined postretirement health care and life insurance plans covering its U.S. employees and employees in certain foreign countries.

The worldwide components of net periodic pension cost consisted of the following in millions of dollars:


	Three Months Ended
	January 28		January 29
	2018		2017
Service cost	$	72	$	68
Interest cost		98		90
Expected return on plan assets		(194)		(197)
Amortization of actuarial loss		61		60
Amortization of prior service cost		3		3
Net cost	$	40	$	24

The worldwide components of net periodic postretirement benefits cost (health care and life insurance) consisted of the following in millions of dollars:


	Three Months Ended
	January 28		January 29
	2018		2017
Service cost	$	11	$	10
Interest cost		48		49
Expected return on plan assets		(5)		(4)
Amortization of actuarial loss		16		25
Amortization of prior service credit		(19)		(19)
Net cost	$	51	$	61

The components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefits cost excluding the service cost component are included in the line item other operating expenses in the Statement of Consolidated Income.

During the first three months of 2018, the Company contributed approximately $12 million to its pension plans and $21 million to its postretirement benefit plans. The Company presently anticipates contributing an additional $56 million to its pension plans and $53 million to its postretirement benefit plans during the remainder of fiscal year 2018. These contributions primarily include payments from Company funds to make direct payments to plan participants. The Company is also evaluating additional, voluntary contributions to its U.S. pension and postretirement plans in 2018. The amount and timing of additional contributions, if any, will be at the discretion of the Company’s board of directors or a committee thereof and will be based on the Company’s liquidity and ability to make U.S. tax-deductible contributions applicable to tax year 2017.