Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block] | 1. Organization, Basis of Presentation, and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Organization Landec Corporation and its subsidiaries (“Landec” or the “Company”) design, develop, manufacture, and sell differentiated products for food and biomaterials markets, and license technology applications to partners. The Company has two proprietary polymer technology platforms: 1) Intelimer® polymers, and 2) hyaluronan (“HA”) biopolymers. The Company sells specialty packaged branded Eat Smart® and GreenLine® and private label fresh-cut vegetables and whole produce to retailers, club stores, and foodservice operators, primarily in the United States, Canada, and Asia through its Apio, Inc. (“Apio”) subsidiary, and sells HA-based and non-HA biomaterials through its Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (“Lifecore”) subsidiary. The Company’s HA biopolymers and non-HA materials are proprietary in that they are specially formulated for specific customers to meet strict regulatory requirements. The Company’s technologies, along with its customer relationships and tradenames, are the foundation, and a key differentiating advantage upon which Landec has built its business. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Landec have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) have been made which are necessary to present fairly the financial position at August 28, 2016 and the results of operations and cash flows for all periods presented. Although Landec believes that the disclosures in these financial statements are adequate to make the information presented not misleading, certain information normally included in financial statements and related footnotes prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The accompanying financial data should be reviewed in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes included in Landec's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 29, 2016. The results of operations for the three months ended August 28, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for an entire fiscal year because there is some seasonality in Apio’s food business, particularly, Apio’s export business, and the order patterns of Lifecore’s customers which may lead to significant fluctuations in Landec’s quarterly results of operations. Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements are presented on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with GAAP and include the accounts of Landec Corporation and its subsidiaries, Apio and Lifecore. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Arrangements that are not controlled through voting or similar rights are reviewed under the guidance for variable interest entities (“VIEs”). A company is required to consolidate the assets, liabilities, and operations of a VIE if it is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE. An entity is a VIE and subject to consolidation, if by design: a) the total equity investment at risk is not sufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support provided by any parties, including equity holders, or b) as a group the holders of the equity investment at risk lack any one of the following three characteristics: (i) the power, through voting rights or similar rights to direct the activities of an entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, (ii) the obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity, or (iii) the right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity. The Company reviewed the consolidation guidance and concluded that its partnership interest in Apio Cooling, LP (see below) and its equity investment in the non-public company (see Note 2) are not VIEs. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. The accounting estimates that require management’s most significant and subjective judgments include revenue recognition; loss contingencies; sales returns and allowances; self-insurance liabilities; recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities; the assessment of recoverability of long-lived assets; the valuation of intangible assets and inventory; the valuation of investments; and the valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation. These estimates involve the consideration of complex factors and require management to make judgments. The analysis of historical and future trends can require extended periods of time to resolve and are subject to change from period to period. The actual results may differ from management’s estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company records all highly liquid securities with three months or less from date of purchase to maturity as cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist mainly of money market funds. The market value of cash equivalents approximates their historical cost given their short-term nature. Financial Instruments The Company’s financial instruments are primarily composed of commercial-term trade payables, grower advances, notes receivable, and debt instruments. For short-term instruments, the historical carrying amount approximates the fair value of the instrument. The fair value of long-term debt approximates their carrying value. Investment in Non-Public Company On February 15, 2011, Apio purchased 150,000 senior preferred shares for $15 million and 201 common shares for $201 that were issued by Windset Holdings 2010 Ltd., a Canadian corporation (“Windset”). On July 15, 2014, Apio increased its investment in Windset by purchasing an additional 68 shares of common stock and 51,211 shares of junior preferred stock of Windset for $11 million. On October 29, 2014, Apio purchased an additional 70,000 senior preferred shares of Windset for $7 million. These investments are reported as an investment in non-public company, fair value, in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as of August 28, 2016 and May 29, 2016. The Company has elected to account for its investment in Windset under the fair value option (see Note 2). Intangible Assets The Company’s intangible assets are comprised of customer relationships with a finite estimated useful life of twelve to thirteen years, and trademarks, tradenames and goodwill with indefinite lives. Finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate that the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) may not be recoverable. Indefinite lived intangible assets are reviewed for impairment at least annually. For goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets, the Company performs a qualitative impairment analysis in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350-30-35. Partial Self-Insurance on Employee Health and Workers Compensation Plans The Company provides health insurance benefits to eligible employees under self-insured plans whereby the Company pays actual medical claims subject to certain stop loss limits and self-insures its workers compensation claims. The Company records self-insurance liabilities based on actual claims filed and an estimate of those claims incurred but not reported. Any projection of losses concerning the Company's liability is subject to a high degree of variability. Among the causes of this variability are unpredictable external factors such as inflation rates, changes in severity, benefit level changes, medical costs, and claims settlement patterns. This self-insurance liability is included in accrued liabilities and represents management's best estimate of the amounts that have been incurred but not yet been paid as of August 28, 2016 and May 29, 2016. It is reasonably possible that the expense the Company ultimately incurs could differ from these estimates and adjustments to future reserves may be necessary. Fair Value Measurements The Company uses fair value measurement accounting for financial assets and liabilities and for financial instruments and certain other items measured at fair value. The Company has elected the fair value option for its investment in a non-public company (see Note 2). The Company has not elected the fair value option for any of its other eligible financial assets or liabilities. The accounting guidance established a three-tier hierarchy for fair value measurements, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: Level 1 – observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. Level 2 – inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly through corroboration with observable market data. Level 3 – unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which would require the Company to develop its own assumptions. As of August 28, 2016 and May 29, 2016, the only asset of the Company that was measured at fair value on a recurring basis was its minority interest investment in Windset. The Company has elected the fair value option of accounting for its investment in Windset. The calculation of fair value utilizes significant unobservable inputs, including projected cash flows, growth rates, and discount rates. As a result, the Company’s investment in Windset is considered to be a Level 3 measurement investment. The increase in the fair value of the Company’s investment in Windset for the three months ended August 30, 2015 was due to the Company’s 26.9% minority interest in the increase in the fair market value of Windset during the period. The fair value of the Company’s investment in Windset did not change for the three months ended August 28, 2016. In determining the fair value of the investment in Windset, the Company utilizes the following significant unobservable inputs in the discounted cash flow models: August 28, 2016 May 29, 2016 Revenue growth rates 4 4% Expense growth rates 4 4% Income tax rates 15 15% Discount rates 8.5% to 12.5% 12.5% The revenue growth, expense growth, and income tax rate assumptions are considered the Company's best estimate of the trends in those items over the discount period. The discount rate assumption takes into account the risk-free rate of return, the market equity risk premium, and the company’s specific risk premium and then applies an additional discount for lack of liquidity of the underlying securities. The discounted cash flow valuation model used by the Company has the following sensitivity to changes in inputs and assumptions (in thousands): Impact on value of investment in Windset as of August 28, 2016 10% increase in revenue growth rates $ 400 10% increase in expense growth rates $ (400 ) 10% increase in income tax rates $ — 10% increase in discount rates $ (200 ) Imprecision in estimating unobservable market inputs can affect the amount of gain or loss recorded for a particular position. The use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date. The fair value of the Company’s investment in Windset as of August 28, 2016 and May 29, 2016 was $62.7 million. Revenue Recognition See Note 10 – Business Segment Reporting, for a discussion about the Company’s four business segments; namely, Packaged Fresh Vegetables, Food Export, Biomaterials, and Corporate. Revenue from product sales is recognized when there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, title has transferred, the price is fixed and determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. Allowances are established for estimated uncollectible amounts, product returns, and discounts based on specific identification and historical losses. Apio’s Packaged Fresh Vegetables revenues generally consist of revenues generated from the sale of specialty packaged fresh-cut and whole value-added vegetable products that are generally washed and packaged in our proprietary packaging and sold under Apio’s Eat Smart and GreenLine brands and various private labels. Revenue is generally recognized upon shipment of these products to customers. The Company takes title to all produce it trades and/or packages, and therefore, records revenues and cost of sales at gross amounts in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. In addition, Packaged Fresh Vegetables revenues include the revenues generated from Apio Cooling, LP, a vegetable cooling operation in which Apio is the general partner with a 60% ownership position, and from the sale of BreatheWay® packaging to license partners. Revenue is recognized on the vegetable cooling operations as cooling and storage services are provided to Apio’s customers. Sales of BreatheWay packaging are recognized when shipped to Apio’s customers. Apio’s Food Export revenues consist of revenues generated from the purchase and sale of primarily whole commodity fruit and vegetable products to Asia by Cal-Ex. As most Cal-Ex customers are in countries outside of the U.S., title transfers and revenue is generally recognized upon arrival of the shipment in the foreign port. Apio records revenue equal to the sale price to third parties because it takes title to the product while in transit. Our Biomaterials business principally generates revenue through the sale of products containing HA. Lifecore primarily sells products to customers in three medical areas: (1) Ophthalmic, which represented approximately 55% of Lifecore’s revenues in fiscal year 2016, (2) Orthopedic, which represented approximately 20% of Lifecore’s revenues in fiscal year 2016, and (3) Other/Non-HA products, which represented approximately 25% of Lifecore’s revenues in fiscal year 2016. The vast majority of revenues from our Biomaterials business are recognized upon shipment. Lifecore’s business development revenues, a portion of which are included in all three medical areas, are related to contract research and development (“R&D”) services and multiple element arrangement services with customers where the Company provides products and/or services in a bundled arrangement. Contract R&D revenue is recorded as earned, based on the performance requirements of the contract. Non-refundable contract fees for which no further performance obligations exist, and there is no continuing involvement by the Company, are recognized on the earlier of when the payment is received or collection is assured. For sales arrangements that contain multiple elements, the Company splits the arrangement into separate units of accounting if the individually delivered elements have value to the customer on a standalone basis. The Company also evaluates whether multiple transactions with the same customer or related party should be considered part of a multiple element arrangement, whereby the Company assesses, among other factors, whether the contracts or agreements are negotiated or executed within a short time frame of each other or if there are indicators that the contracts are negotiated in contemplation of each other. The Company then allocates revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy. The relative selling price for a deliverable is based on its vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”), if available, third-party evidence (“TPE”), if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price, if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. The Company then recognizes revenue on each deliverable in accordance with its policies for product and service revenue recognition. The Company is not typically able to determine VSOE or TPE, and therefore, uses the estimated selling price to allocate revenue between the elements of an arrangement. The Company limits the amount of revenue recognition for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services or future performance obligations or subject to customer-specific cancellation rights. The Company evaluates each deliverable in an arrangement to determine whether it represents a separate unit of accounting. A deliverable constitutes a separate unit of accounting when it has stand-alone value, and for an arrangement that includes a general right of return relative to the delivered products or services, delivery or performance of the undelivered product or service is considered probable and is substantially controlled by the Company. The Company considers a deliverable to have stand-alone value if the product or service is sold separately by the Company or another vendor or could be resold by the customer. Further, the revenue arrangements generally do not include a general right of return relative to delivered products. Where the aforementioned criteria for a separate unit of accounting are not met, the deliverable is combined with the undelivered element(s) and treated as a single unit of accounting for the purposes of allocation of the arrangement consideration and revenue recognition. The Company allocates the total arrangement consideration to each separable element of an arrangement based upon the relative selling price of each element. Allocation of the consideration is determined at arrangement inception on the basis of each unit’s relative selling price. In instances where the Company has not established fair value for any undelivered element, revenue for all elements is deferred until delivery of the final element is completed and all recognition criteria are met. For licensing revenue, the initial license fees are deferred and amortized to revenue over the period of the agreement when a contract exists, the fee is fixed and determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. Noncancellable, nonrefundable license fees are recognized over the period of the agreement, including those governing research and development activities and any related supply agreement entered into concurrently with the license when the risk associated with commercialization of a product is non-substantive at the outset of the arrangement. From time to time, the Company offers customers sales incentives, which include volume rebates and discounts. These amounts are estimated on a quarterly basis and recorded as a reduction of revenue. A summary of revenues by type of revenue arrangement as described above is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended August 28, 2016 August 30, 2015 Recorded upon shipment $ 105,588 $ 110,416 Recorded upon acceptance in foreign port 23,339 22,344 Revenue from multiple element arrangements 1,585 1,589 Revenue from license fees, R&D contracts, and royalties/profit sharing 1,882 1,006 Total $ 132,394 $ 135,355 Legal Contingencies In the ordinary course of business, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings and claims related to matters such as wage and hour claims. The Company makes a provision for a liability relating to legal matters when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least each fiscal quarter and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, estimated settlements, legal rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter. In management’s opinion, resolution of all current matters is not expected to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. However, depending on the nature and timing of any such dispute, an unfavorable resolution of a matter could materially affect the Company’s future results of operations or cash flows, or both, in a particular quarter. During the three months ended, August 28, 2016, the Company recorded a charge to income in the amount of $350,000 , or $0.01 per diluted share after taxes, which combined with amounts previously accrued is the Company’s best estimate of settlement charges for all legal matters currently underway. Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance Debt Issuance Costs In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs , except in instances where proceeds from the related debt agreement have not been received. Further, for line of credit arrangements, ASU 2015-15 allows an entity to present debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortize the debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line of credit arrangement. The Company adopted ASU 2015-03 during its first fiscal quarter ended August 28, 2016 with retrospective application to its May 29, 2016 consolidated balance sheet. The effect of the adoption of ASU 2015-03 was to reclassify total debt issuance costs of $817,000 as of May 29, 2016 as a deduction from the related debt liabilities. Accordingly, the May 29, 2016 consolidated balance sheet was adjusted as follows: (1) prepaid expenses and other current assets and total current assets were reduced by $175,000 and current portion of long-term debt and total current liabilities were reduced by the same; (2) other assets were reduced by $642,000 and long-term debt was reduced by the same; and (3) total assets were reduced by $817,000 and total liabilities were reduced by the same. The Company adopted (continues) the policy of presenting line of credit debt issuance costs as an asset, and as such, $77,000 and $150,000 remain as prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets, respectively, as of August 28, 2016. The new guidance does not impact the income statement accounting for debt issuance costs; therefore, these costs will continue to be amortized to interest expense over the term of the related debt instruments. There was no effect on net income. Stock-Based Compensation In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting The Company elected to early adopt the new guidance in its first fiscal quarter ended August 28, 2016 . Accordingly, the primary effects of the adoption are as follows: (1) using a modified retrospective application, the Company recorded unrecognized excess tax benefits of $549,000 as a cumulative-effect adjustment, which increased retained earnings , and reduced deferred taxes by the same, on May 30, 2016, (2) using a modified retrospective application, the Company has elected to recognize forfeitures as they occur and recorded a $200,000 increase to additional paid-in capital, a $126,000 reduction to retained earnings, and a $74,000 reduction to deferred taxes, on May 30, 2016 to reflect the incremental stock-based compensation expense, net of the related tax impacts, that would have been recognized in prior years under the modified guidance, and (3) $74,000 in excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation was reclassified from cash flows from financing activities to cash flows from operating activities for the three months ended August 30, 2015 in the consolidated statement of cash flows. See Note 5 for further information regarding additional effects related to the prospective application of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies related to stock-based compensation on the Company’s financial statements. Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires companies to generally recognize on the balance sheet operating and financing lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use-assets. ASU 2016-02 also requires improved disclosures to help users of financial statements better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The new guidance is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 on a modified retrospective basis, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently evaluating the effect ASU 2016-02 will have on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures. Revenue Recognition In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, which creates FASB ASC Topic 606 , Revenue from Contracts with Customers Revenue Recognition Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date (Topic 606) Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net Revenue from Contracts with Customers Topic 606 Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients |