Debt - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 30,381	$ 16,762	$ 360,649	$ 24,657
Receivables, net	776,741	752,234
Income tax receivable	40,663	15,915
Inventories	279,691	262,858
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other current assets	86,082	102,929
Total current assets	1,213,558	1,150,698
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,180,990	1,216,047
Goodwill	86,841	86,841
Identifiable intangible and other assets, net	308,501	348,459
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Total	2,789,890	2,802,045
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	768,063	761,288
Intercompany payables	0	0
Current portion of debt	698	698
Current portion of litigation settlements	18,853	19,101
Total current liabilities	787,614	781,087
Long-term debt	977,516	896,564
Other long-term liabilities	352,863	374,005
Long-term litigation settlements	16,698	36,074
Total stockholders’ equity	655,199	714,315
Total	2,789,890	2,802,045
Dean Foods Company
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	13,926	(12,289)	347,359	15,242
Receivables, net	2,086	1,932
Income tax receivable	32,568	10,374
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other current assets	(903)	6,944
Total current assets	47,677	6,961
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Identifiable intangible and other assets, net	58,725	90,269
Investment in subsidiaries	6,636,135	6,633,000
Total	6,742,537	6,730,230
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	48,824	47,284
Intercompany payables	5,412,006	5,304,051
Current portion of debt	0	0
Current portion of litigation settlements	18,853	19,101
Total current liabilities	5,479,683	5,370,436
Long-term debt	547,529	549,641
Other long-term liabilities	43,428	59,764
Long-term litigation settlements	16,698	36,074
Total stockholders’ equity	655,199	714,315
Total	6,742,537	6,730,230
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	5,627	17,433	2,677	0
Receivables, net	71,999	72,660
Income tax receivable	8,095	5,541
Inventories	279,691	262,858
Intercompany receivables	5,778,783	5,728,284
Other current assets	86,769	95,927
Total current assets	6,230,964	6,182,703
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,180,958	1,215,888
Goodwill	86,841	86,841
Identifiable intangible and other assets, net	249,764	258,109
Investment in subsidiaries	52,563	72,345
Total	7,801,090	7,815,886
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	719,939	713,625
Intercompany payables	0	0
Current portion of debt	698	698
Current portion of litigation settlements	0	0
Total current liabilities	720,637	714,323
Long-term debt	134,987	133,923
Other long-term liabilities	309,331	314,149
Long-term litigation settlements	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	6,636,135	6,653,491
Total	7,801,090	7,815,886
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	10,828	11,618	10,613	9,415
Receivables, net	702,656	677,642
Income tax receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	(1)
Other current assets	216	58
Total current assets	713,700	689,317
Property, plant and equipment, net	32	159
Goodwill	0	0
Identifiable intangible and other assets, net	12	81
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Total	713,744	689,557
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	62	554
Intercompany payables	366,015	424,057
Current portion of debt	0	0
Current portion of litigation settlements	0	0
Total current liabilities	366,077	424,611
Long-term debt	295,000	213,000
Other long-term liabilities	104	92
Long-term litigation settlements	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	52,563	51,854
Total	713,744	689,557
Eliminations
Condensed Balance Sheet Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Income tax receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(5,778,783)	(5,728,283)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(5,778,783)	(5,728,283)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Identifiable intangible and other assets, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(6,688,698)	(6,705,345)
Total	(12,467,481)	(12,433,628)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(762)	(175)
Intercompany payables	(5,778,021)	(5,728,108)
Current portion of debt	0	0
Current portion of litigation settlements	0	0
Total current liabilities	(5,778,783)	(5,728,283)
Long-term debt	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Long-term litigation settlements	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(6,688,698)	(6,705,345)
Total	$ (12,467,481)	$ (12,433,628)