Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012 ship		Dec. 31, 2011 ship	Mar. 31, 2012 ship
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 774,252,000		$ 793,484,000
Operating Income (Loss)	25,138,000		(434,000)
Sale-leaseback gain amortization	3,315,000		5,711,000
Bananas
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	507,951,000		520,226,000
Operating Income (Loss)	30,231,000	[1]	19,015,000	[1]
Acceleration of losses on ship sublease arrangements net of sublease income in the fourth quarter 2011 and related sale-leaseback gain amortization in the first quarter of 2012			6,000,000
Sale-leaseback gain amortization			2,000,000
Number of ships subleases, removed from service and subleased			3		2	5
Salads and Healthy Snacks
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	240,072,000		237,813,000
Operating Income (Loss)	6,757,000	[2]	266,000	[2]
Cost of sales for severance costs related to a fruit ingredient business	1,000,000
Cost of sales primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit healthy snacking products that were not sufficiently profitable, gross			1,000,000
Selling, general and administrative expense to restructure the European healthy snacking sales force			1,000,000
Other Produce
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	26,229,000		35,445,000
Operating Income (Loss)	(378,000)	[3]	(6,002,000)	[3]
Cost of sales primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit low-margin other produce, gross			2,000,000
Corporate Costs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)	$ (11,472,000)	[4]	$ (13,713,000)	[4]

[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 were not renewed at the end of 2012. These accelerated sublease losses are included in "Cost of sales."

[2] Includes $1 million of "Cost of sales" in the first quarter of 2013 for severance costs related to a fruit ingredient business. Includes $1 million of "Cost of sales" in the first quarter of 2012 primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit healthy snacking products that were not sufficiently profitable and $1 million of "Selling, general and administrative" to restructure the European healthy snacking sales force. These costs related to actions completed during the first quarter of 2012.

[3] Includes $2 million of "Cost of sales" in the first quarter of 2012, primarily related to inventory write-offs to exit low-margin other produce.

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