<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2008-02-12</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000100493</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TYSON FOODS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>(TSN)</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001206526</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BOND RICHARD L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2210 W. OAKLAWN</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SPRINGDALE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>AR</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>72762</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President &amp; C.E.O.</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-12-15</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1050</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>552416</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-01-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2857</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>32463</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By ESPP</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Restricted Stock Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-12-15</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2379.8859</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>2379.8859</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>857859.6679</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Restricted Stock Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2008-02-12</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>18292.5947</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>18292.5947</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>839567.0732</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents 1,050 shares of restricted Class A Common Stock received by the reporting person pursuant to a dividend reinvestment feature under the Issuer 's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan through December 15, 2007.  Such acquisition is exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-11.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents 2,857 shares of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock purchased from November 1, 2007 to January 31, 2008 for the reporting person's account under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan.  Such acquisitions are exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-3.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The restricted stock units vested on February 12, 2008, and will be paid to the Reporting Person on the date specified in the award.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Represents 2,379.8859 restricted  stock units received by the reporting person pursuant to a dividend reinvestment feature under the Issuer 's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan through December 15, 2007.  Such acquisition is exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-11.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">On February 12, 2008, 857,859.6679 restricted stock units vested; however, receipt has been previously deferred .  The award of these restricted stock units to the Reporting Person has previously been reported .  Pursuant to the terms the Reporting Person's Restricted Stock Unit award, the Company reduced the award by 18,292.5947 restricted stock units to satisfy FICA tax obligations related to the vesting.  The FICA tax obligation, and the calculation to determine the number of restricted stock units to reduce from the award, were based on the closing price of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock on the vesting date ($13.62).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Nathan A. Hodne, by Power of Attorney for</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2008-02-14</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0202
4
2008-02-12
0
0000100493
TYSON FOODS INC
(TSN)
0001206526
BOND RICHARD L
2210 W. OAKLAWN
SPRINGDALE
AR
72762
1
1
0
0
President & C.E.O.
Class A Common Stock
2007-12-15
5
J
0
1050
0
A
552416
D
Class A Common Stock
2008-01-31
5
J
0
2857
0
A
32463
I
By ESPP
Restricted Stock Units
2007-12-15
5
J
0
2379.8859
0
A
Class A Common Stock
2379.8859
857859.6679
D
Restricted Stock Units
2008-02-12
4
F
0
18292.5947
0
D
Class A Common Stock
18292.5947
839567.0732
D
Represents 1,050 shares of restricted Class A Common Stock received by the reporting person pursuant to a dividend reinvestment feature under the Issuer 's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan through December 15, 2007.  Such acquisition is exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-11.
Represents 2,857 shares of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock purchased from November 1, 2007 to January 31, 2008 for the reporting person's account under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan.  Such acquisitions are exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-3.
The restricted stock units vested on February 12, 2008, and will be paid to the Reporting Person on the date specified in the award.
Represents 2,379.8859 restricted  stock units received by the reporting person pursuant to a dividend reinvestment feature under the Issuer 's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan through December 15, 2007.  Such acquisition is exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-11.
On February 12, 2008, 857,859.6679 restricted stock units vested; however, receipt has been previously deferred .  The award of these restricted stock units to the Reporting Person has previously been reported .  Pursuant to the terms the Reporting Person's Restricted Stock Unit award, the Company reduced the award by 18,292.5947 restricted stock units to satisfy FICA tax obligations related to the vesting.  The FICA tax obligation, and the calculation to determine the number of restricted stock units to reduce from the award, were based on the closing price of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock on the vesting date ($13.62).
By: Nathan A. Hodne, by Power of Attorney for
2008-02-14