General	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
General	General Nature of Our Business — We are a leading food and beverage company and the largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of milk and other dairy and dairy case products in the United States. We have aligned our leadership teams, operating strategies and supply chain initiatives under a single operating and reportable segment. We process and distribute fluid milk and other dairy products, including ice cream, ice cream mix and cultured products, which are marketed under more than 50 local and regional dairy brands and a wide array of private labels. We also produce and distribute TruMoo^®, which is our nationally branded, reformulated flavored milk, as well as juices, teas, bottled water and other products. Basis of Presentation — The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been prepared on the same basis as the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 (the “2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K”), which we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2014. In our opinion, we have made all necessary adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) to present fairly, in all material respects, our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of the dates and for the periods presented. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted. Our results of operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2014 may not be indicative of our operating results for the full year. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Unless otherwise indicated, references in this report to “we,” “us” or “our” refer to Dean Foods Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. We are required to adopt the standard prospectively for new disposals and new classifications of disposal groups as held for sale beginning the first quarter of 2015. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605)”, and requires entities to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements. In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period. ASU No. 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period should be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in Topic 718 as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. ASU 2014-12 is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

General

Nature of Our Business — We are a leading food and beverage company and the largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of milk and other dairy and dairy case products in the United States. We have aligned our leadership teams, operating strategies and supply chain initiatives under a single operating and reportable segment. We process and distribute fluid milk and other dairy products, including ice cream, ice cream mix and cultured products, which are marketed under more than 50 local and regional dairy brands and a wide array of private labels. We also produce and distribute TruMoo^®, which is our nationally branded, reformulated flavored milk, as well as juices, teas, bottled water and other products.

Basis of Presentation — The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been prepared on the same basis as the Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 (the “2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K”), which we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 24, 2014. In our opinion, we have made all necessary adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) to present fairly, in all material respects, our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of the dates and for the periods presented. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted. Our results of operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2014 may not be indicative of our operating results for the full year. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Unless otherwise indicated, references in this report to “we,” “us” or “our” refer to Dean Foods Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued FASB Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. We are required to adopt the standard prospectively for new disposals and new classifications of disposal groups as held for sale beginning the first quarter of 2015. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605)”, and requires entities to recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period. ASU No. 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period should be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in Topic 718 as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. ASU 2014-12 is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that the adoption of this standard will have on our financial statements.