Tyson Foods 2009 Annual Report Download - page 80

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Shareholders
of Tyson Foods, Inc.
We have audited Tyson Foods, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 3, 2009, based on criteria established in
Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the
COSO criteria). Tyson Foods, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting,
and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Report of
Management under the caption “Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting”. Our responsibility is to express
an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those
standards require we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial
reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial
reporting, assessing the risk a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal
control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We
believe our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to
the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the
company; (2) provide reasonable assurance transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in
accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material
effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also,
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk controls may become inadequate because of
changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, Tyson Foods, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of October
3, 2009, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the
consolidated balance sheets of Tyson Foods, Inc. as of October 3, 2009 and September 27, 2008, and the related consolidated
statements of income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended October 3, 2009, and our
report dated November 23, 2009, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Rogers, Arkansas
November 23, 2009