Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 01, 2011
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Operating activities	$ 45,278	$ 5,125
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	45,278	5,125	147,639
Investing Activities
Cash received from sales of assets and businesses, net of cash disposed	43,028	41,722	45,891
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(17,067)	(79,034)
Cash received from sales of investments, net of cash disposed		1,051
Capital expenditures	(105,843)	(82,187)	(87,402)
Restricted cash and deposits	6,230	44,878	(27,818)
Investments in non-consolidated subsidiaries		(8,038)
Other	(1,929)	(1,127)	(588)
Cash flow provided by (used in) investing activities	(75,581)	(82,735)	(69,917)
Financing Activities
Short-term debt borrowings	474,309	2,887	57,535
Short-term debt repayments	(440,954)	(10,128)	(76,341)
Long-term debt borrowings	984,287	1,337,478	923,370
Long-term debt repayments	(965,261)	(1,270,969)	(913,973)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(13,007)	(17,000)
Premium on early retirement of notes		(10,238)
Payment of initial public offering costs			(1,004)
Net proceeds from stock option exercises	1,509	312
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests	(1,712)	(2,935)	(1,958)
Settlement on long-term Japanese yen hedge forwards	(52,712)	(3,910)
Cash flow provided by (used in) financing activities	(534)	29,490	(29,371)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash	68	321	2,126
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(30,769)	(47,799)	50,477
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	122,348	170,147	119,670
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	91,579	122,348	170,147
Dole Food Company, Inc.
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany dividend income	3,000	35,000
Operating activities	(62,429)	(137,309)
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(59,429)	(102,309)	37,446
Investing Activities
Cash received from sales of assets and businesses, net of cash disposed	12,743	10,469	1,960
Capital expenditures	(1,035)	(513)	(923)
Investments in non-consolidated subsidiaries		(6,000)
Other	(1,929)	(1,127)	(135)
Cash flow provided by (used in) investing activities	9,779	2,829	902
Financing Activities
Short-term debt borrowings	276	535
Short-term debt repayments			(871)
Long-term debt borrowings	979,800	756,138	329,100
Long-term debt repayments	(932,263)	(666,508)	(337,306)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(6,281)	(10,100)
Premium on early retirement of notes		(10,238)
Payment of initial public offering costs			(1,004)
Net proceeds from stock option exercises	1,509	312
Cash flow provided by (used in) financing activities	49,322	73,958	(20,181)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(328)	(25,522)	18,167
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	13,558	39,080	20,913
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	13,230	13,558	39,080
Guarantor
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany dividend income		35,000
Operating activities	52,174	107,108
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	51,274	142,108	42,098
Investing Activities
Cash received from sales of assets and businesses, net of cash disposed	764	915	112
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(17,067)	(77,887)
Capital expenditures	(31,792)	(33,068)	(33,899)
Cash flow provided by (used in) investing activities	(48,095)	(110,040)	(33,787)
Financing Activities
Short-term debt borrowings		2,321
Short-term debt repayments	(888)		(7,433)
Long-term debt borrowings	270
Long-term debt repayments	(1,687)	(290)	(282)
Intercompany dividends		(35,000)
Cash flow provided by (used in) financing activities	(2,305)	(32,969)	(7,715)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1,774	(901)	596
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,813	2,714	2,118
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,587	1,813	2,714
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Operating activities	55,533	35,326
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	55,533	35,326	68,095
Investing Activities
Cash received from sales of assets and businesses, net of cash disposed	29,521	30,338	43,819
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired		(1,147)
Cash received from sales of investments, net of cash disposed		1,051
Capital expenditures	(73,016)	(48,606)	(52,580)
Restricted cash and deposits	6,230	44,878	(27,818)
Investments in non-consolidated subsidiaries		(2,038)
Other			(453)
Cash flow provided by (used in) investing activities	(37,265)	24,476	(37,032)
Financing Activities
Short-term debt borrowings	474,033	31	57,535
Short-term debt repayments	(440,066)	(10,128)	(68,037)
Long-term debt borrowings	4,217	581,340	594,270
Long-term debt repayments	(31,311)	(604,171)	(576,385)
Payment of debt issuance costs		(6,726)	(6,900)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests	(1,712)	(2,935)	(1,958)
Intercompany dividends	(3,000)	(35,000)
Settlement on long-term Japanese yen hedge forwards	(52,712)	(3,910)
Cash flow provided by (used in) financing activities	(50,551)	(81,499)	(1,475)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash	68	321	2,126
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(32,215)	(21,376)	31,714
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	106,977	128,353	96,639
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	74,762	106,977	128,353
Eliminations
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Intercompany dividend income	(3,000)	(70,000)
Cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities	(3,000)	(70,000)
Financing Activities
Intercompany dividends	3,000	70,000
Cash flow provided by (used in) financing activities	$ 3,000	$ 70,000