Revenue Recognition: The Company recognizes sales when title passes upon delivery of its products to customers, net of applicable provisions for discounts, returns, and allowances. Products are delivered upon receipt of customer purchase orders with acceptable terms, including price and collectabil- ity that is reasonably assured. 

The Company offers various sales incentives to customers and consumers. Incentives that are offered off-invoice include prompt pay allowances, will call allowances, spoilage allow- ances, and temporary price reductions. These incentives are recognized as reductions of revenue at the time title passes. Coupons are used as an incentive for consumers to purchase various products. The coupons reduce revenues at the time they are offered, based on estimated redemption rates. Promotional contracts are performed by customers to pro- mote the Company’s products to consumers. These incentives reduce revenues at the time of performance through direct payments and accrued promotional funds. Accrued promo- tional funds are unpaid liabilities for promotional contracts in process or completed at the end of a quarter or fiscal year. Promotional contractual accruals are based on agreements with customers for defined performance. The liability relating to these agreements is based on a review of the outstanding contracts on which performance has taken place but for which the promotional payments relating to such contracts remain unpaid as of the end of the fiscal year. The level of customer performance and the historical spend rate versus contracted rates are significant estimates used to determine these liabilities. 

Inventory Valuation: The Company values its pork inventories at the lower of cost or USDA market prices (primal values). When the carcasses are disassembled and transferred from primal processing to various manufacturing departments, the primal values, as adjusted by the Company for product specifi- cations and further processing, become the basis for calculat- ing inventory values. Turkey raw materials are represented by the deboned meat quantities. The Company values these raw materials using a concept referred to as the “meat cost pool.” The meat cost pool is determined by combining the cost to grow turkeys with processing costs, less any net sales revenue from by-products created from the processing and not used in producing Company products. The Company has developed a series of ratios using historical data and current market conditions (which themselves involve estimates and judgment determinations by the Company) to allocate the meat cost pool to each meat component. Substantially all inventoriable expenses, meat, packaging, and supplies are valued by the average cost method. 

Goodwill and Other Intangibles: The Company’s identifiable intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives, unless the useful life is determined to be indefinite. The useful life of an identifiable intangible asset is based on an analysis of sev- eral factors including: contractual, regulatory, or legal obliga- tions, demand, competition, and industry trends. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are tested at least annually for impairment. 

The Company’s goodwill impairment test is performed at the reporting unit level. The Company’s reporting units represent operating segments (aggregations of business units that have similar economic characteristics and share the same produc- tion facilities, raw materials, and labor force). In conducting the goodwill impairment test, the Company first performs a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not ( >  50% likelihood) that the fair value of any reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company concludes that this is the case, then a two-step quantitative test for good- will impairment is performed for the appropriate reporting units. Otherwise, the Company concludes that no impairment is indicated and does not perform the two-step test. 

In conducting the initial qualitative assessment, the Company analyzes actual and projected growth trends for net sales, gross margin, and segment profit for each reporting unit, as well as historical performance versus plan and the results of prior quantitative tests performed. Additionally, each reporting unit assesses critical areas that may impact its business, including macroeconomic conditions and the related impact, market related exposures, any plans to market all or a portion of their business, competitive changes, new or discontinued product lines, changes in key personnel, and any other potential risks to their projected financial results. All of the assumptions used in the qualitative assessment require significant judgment. 

If performed, the quantitative goodwill impairment test is a two-step process. First, the fair value of each reporting unit is compared to its corresponding carrying value, including goodwill. The fair value of each reporting unit is estimated using discounted cash flow valuations. The assumptions used in the estimate of fair value, including future growth rates, terminal values, and discount rates, require significant judgment. The estimates and assumptions used consider his- torical performance and are consistent with the assumptions used in determining future profit plans for each reporting unit, which are approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. The Company reviews product growth patterns, market share information, industry trends, peer group statistics, changes in distribution channels, and economic indicators in determining the estimates and assumptions used to develop cash flow and profit plan assumptions. Additionally, the Company performs sensitivity testing of the profit plan assumptions and discount rate to assess the impact on the fair value for each reporting unit under various circumstances. 

If the first step results in the carrying value exceeding the fair value of any reporting unit, then a second step must be completed in order to determine the amount of goodwill impairment that should be recorded. In the second step, the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is deter- mined by allocating the reporting unit’s fair value to all of its assets and liabilities other than goodwill in a manner similar to a purchase price allocation. The implied fair value of the goodwill that results from the application of this second step is then compared to the carrying amount of the goodwill and an 

