UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13D

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. 15)*

Dole Food Company, Inc.

(Name of Issuer)

Common Stock par value $0.001 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)

256603 101

(CUSIP Number)

Roberta Wieman

10900 Wilshire Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90024

(310) 208-6055

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

November 1, 2012

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§240.13d-1(e), 13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box.  ¨

Note: Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See Rule 13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

This Amendment No. 15 (the “Amendment”) amends and supplements the Schedule 13D (the “Original Schedule 13D”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 9, 2009 by the Reporting Persons, as previously amended. This Amendment, and the Original Schedule 13D, relate to the shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) of Dole Food Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”). The principal executive offices of the Issuer are located at One Dole Drive, Westlake Village, California 91362. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Amendment have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Original Schedule 13D. Except as amended and supplemented by this Amendment, the Original Schedule 13D, as previously amended, is not amended or supplemented in any respect.

Item 4. Purpose of Transaction

Item 4 as previously amended is revised to add the following:

In relation to a previously described term loan, certain securities pledged to secure the loan were exchanged for shares of Dole common stock. The number of pledged shares is now 21,121,080.

Item 6. Contracts, Arrangements Understandings or Relationships With Respect to Securities of the Issuer.

Item 6 as previously filed is amended to add the following:

Pursuant to the previously disclosed Forward Purchase Agreement dated as of October 22, 2009, Mr. Murdock delivered 23,317,270 shares of Dole Food Company, Inc. common stock for distribution to the holders of the $0.875 Trust Issued Automatic Common Exchange Securities (“MACES”). The remaining 682,730 shares of the 24,000,000 shares of Dole common stock pledged to secure this delivery obligation were released to Mr. Murdock and 2,185,994 shares of Dole common stock distributed to Mr. Murdock in exchange for the MACES he held.

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of each of the undersigned’s knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.