Guarantor Financial Information (Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Apr. 04, 2015	Mar. 29, 2014
Net sales	$ 874,694us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 946,292us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales and operating expenses	684,521us-gaap_CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold	775,206us-gaap_CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold
Selling, general and administrative expenses	86,631	90,033
Acquisition and integration costs	5,319	15,948
Depreciation and amortization	66,398us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization	65,669us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization
Total costs and expenses	842,869us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses	946,856us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses
Operating income/(loss)	31,825us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	(564)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Interest expense	(23,109)us-gaap_InterestExpense	(58,857)us-gaap_InterestExpense
Foreign currency gains/ (losses)	(2,460)	(13,814)
Other, net	(509)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	(1,138)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Equity in net income/(loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,808)	5,077
Earnings in investments in subsidiaries	0dar_EarningsInInvestmentsInSubsidiaries	0dar_EarningsInInvestmentsInSubsidiaries
Income before income taxes	3,939	(69,296)
Income tax expense/(benefit)	2,115us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	(18,290)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,715)	(1,797)
Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling	109us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	(52,803)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Issuer [Member]
Net sales	125,794	154,437
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales and operating expenses	103,616	118,176
Selling, general and administrative expenses	33,130	37,552
Acquisition and integration costs	1,973	14,381
Depreciation and amortization	8,171	7,518
Total costs and expenses	146,890	177,627
Operating income/(loss)	(21,096)	(23,190)
Interest expense	(15,160)	(50,301)
Foreign currency gains/ (losses)	(11)	(12,228)
Other, net	(1,181)	(1,453)
Equity in net income/(loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Earnings in investments in subsidiaries	17,449	11,361
Income before income taxes	(19,999)	(75,811)
Income tax expense/(benefit)	(20,108)	(23,008)
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling	109	(52,803)
Guarantors [Member]
Net sales	358,707	402,988
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales and operating expenses	284,503	326,889
Selling, general and administrative expenses	14,868	13,876
Acquisition and integration costs	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	23,599	19,511
Total costs and expenses	322,970	360,276
Operating income/(loss)	35,737	42,712
Interest expense	4,848	5,225
Foreign currency gains/ (losses)	(304)	(92)
Other, net	211	(797)
Equity in net income/(loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Earnings in investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Income before income taxes	40,492	47,048
Income tax expense/(benefit)	21,742	12,418
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling	18,750	34,630
Non-guarantors [Member]
Net sales	448,843	481,409
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales and operating expenses	355,052	422,683
Selling, general and administrative expenses	38,633	38,605
Acquisition and integration costs	3,346	1,567
Depreciation and amortization	34,628	38,640
Total costs and expenses	431,659	501,495
Operating income/(loss)	17,184	(20,086)
Interest expense	(12,797)	(13,781)
Foreign currency gains/ (losses)	(2,145)	(1,494)
Other, net	461	1,112
Equity in net income/(loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,808)	5,077
Earnings in investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Income before income taxes	895	(29,172)
Income tax expense/(benefit)	481	(7,700)
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,715)	(1,797)
Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling	(1,301)	(23,269)
Eliminations [Member]
Net sales	(58,650)	(92,542)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales and operating expenses	(58,650)	(92,542)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Acquisition and integration costs	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total costs and expenses	(58,650)	(92,542)
Operating income/(loss)	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Foreign currency gains/ (losses)	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Equity in net income/(loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Earnings in investments in subsidiaries	(17,449)	(11,361)
Income before income taxes	(17,449)	(11,361)
Income tax expense/(benefit)	0	0
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income/(loss) attributable to Darling	$ (17,449)	$ (11,361)

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