Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Bananas [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Bananas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Bananas [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Bananas [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Bananas [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Bananas [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Bananas [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Salads and healthy snacks [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Salads and healthy snacks [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Salads and healthy snacks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Salads and healthy snacks [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Salads and healthy snacks [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Salads and healthy snacks [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Other produce [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Other produce [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Other produce [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Other produce [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Other produce [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Other produce [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Corporate costs [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Corporate costs [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Corporate costs [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Corporate costs [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 714,167,000	$ 722,764,000	$ 2,340,816,000	$ 2,417,578,000	$ 446,080,000				$ 453,401,000			$ 1,499,096,000		$ 1,547,613,000		$ 239,943,000				$ 239,784,000		$ 729,430,000		$ 730,943,000		$ 28,144,000			$ 29,579,000			$ 112,290,000		$ 139,022,000
Operating income (loss)	(66,104,000)	(10,395,000)	(48,941,000)	45,651,000	(1,784,000)	[1]			6,623,000	[1]		46,328,000	[1]	122,392,000	[1]	(26,926,000)	[2]			(2,749,000)	[2]	(16,518,000)	[2]	6,557,000	[2]	(3,407,000)	[3]		(1,536,000)	[3]		(12,773,000)	[3]	(38,117,000)	[3]	(33,987,000)	[4]	(12,733,000)	[4]	(65,978,000)	[4]	(45,181,000)	[4]
Acceleration of losses on ship sublease arrangements net of related sale-leaseback gain amortization							6,000,000
Sale-leaseback gain amortization			11,470,000	10,598,000			2,000,000
Total number of ships removed from service and subleased											5
Number of ships removed from service and subleased							3	2
Cost of sales primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit healthy snacking products that were not sufficiently profitable, gross																			1,000,000
Cost of sales primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit healthy snacking products that were not sufficiently profitable, net																			1,000,000
Selling, general and administrative expense to restructure the European healthy snacking sales force																			1,000,000
Cost of sales primarily related to the closure of a research and development facility																		1,000,000
Fully impair the company's equity-method investment and to record estimates of probable cash obligations to the Danone JV																28,000,000
Cost of sales primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit low-margin other produce, gross																												2,000,000
Cost of sales primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit low-margin other produce, net																												1,000,000
Provision for advances made to a Chilean grower																															$ 32,000,000

[1] Includes the acceleration of $6 million of losses on ship sublease arrangements in the first quarter of 2012, net of $2 million of related sale-leaseback gain amortization during the sublease period. As part of the company's European shipping reconfiguration, five ships, two in the fourth quarter of 2011 and three in the first quarter of 2012, were removed from service and subleased. The primary leases for an equivalent number of ships will not be renewed at the end of 2012. These accelerated sublease losses are included in "Cost of sales."

[2] Includes $1 million ($1 million, net of tax) in "Cost of sales" primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit healthy snacking products that were not sufficiently profitable and $1 million in "Selling, general and administrative" to restructure the European healthy snacking sales force. These costs were recognized and related actions completed during the first quarter of 2012. Includes $1 million in "Cost of sales" in the second quarter of 2012, primarily related to the closure of a research and development facility. Includes $28 million in the third quarter of 2012 to fully impair the company's equity-method investment and to record estimates of probable cash obligations to the Danone JV as described in Note 3.

[3] Includes $2 million ($1 million, net of tax) in "Cost of sales" in the first quarter of 2012, primarily related to inventory write-offs, to exit low-margin other produce. Includes a reserve of $32 million for advances made to a Chilean grower in the second quarter of 2011, as described in Note 4.

[4] Includes "Restructuring and relocation costs" further detailed in Note 2.