Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 29, 2012 Y Employee	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 01, 2011
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension plans, option to pay by ITOCHU	$ 29,000,000
Employees covered under bargaining agreements	125
Benefit obligation	459,842,000	424,046,000
Percentage over which actuarial gain losses are amortized	10.00%
Amortization period of actuarial gain (losses)	8.5
Contribution towards defined contribution plan	11,200,000	10,100,000	6,500,000
Contributions towards multiemployer benefit plans	779,000	779,000	685,000
Multi Employer And Foreign Insured Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contributions towards multiemployer benefit plans	1,300,000	1,100,000	1,300,000
United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Average expected contribution towards pension plans during contribution period	10,500,000
Contribution period for pension plans	8 years
Benefit obligation	329,149,000	305,721,000	308,051,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	89,996,000	79,073,000
United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit | Dole Asia Sale
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefit obligation	85,800,000
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefit obligation	42,907,000	42,583,000	42,037,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(5,417,000)	(9,051,000)
Amortization of postretirement expense from OCI to periodic benefit cost	3,300,000
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Defined Benefit | Dole Asia Sale
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefit obligation	1,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	400,000	5,000,000
Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefit obligation	130,693,000	118,325,000	104,036,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	27,543,000	24,686,000
Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit | Dole Asia Sale
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefit obligation	62,200,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	6,600,000	4,100,000
Pension Plans, Defined Benefit
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Amortization of postretirement expense from OCI to periodic benefit cost	14,800,000
United States Qualified Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Average expected contribution towards pension plans during contribution period	13,300,000
Contributions towards pension plans in current year	16,500,000
Other Retirement Benefit Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Average expected contribution towards pension plans during contribution period	$ 18,300,000