Debt - Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Subtotal	$ 1,013,980	$ 910,918
Unamortized debt issuance costs	(4,299)	(4,574)
Total debt	1,009,681	906,344
Less current portion	(1,053)	(1,174)
Total long-term portion	1,008,628	905,170
Dean Foods Company debt obligations:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	717,800	719,300
Dean Foods Company debt obligations: \| Senior notes due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes	$ 700,000	$ 700,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.50%	6.50%
Dean Foods Company debt obligations: \| Senior secured revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility	$ 17,800	$ 19,300
Weighted average rate (as a percent)	7.25%	4.65%
Subsidiary debt obligations:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Finance lease and other	$ 1,180	$ 1,618
Total debt	296,180	191,618
Subsidiary debt obligations: \| Receivables securitization facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility	$ 295,000	$ 190,000
Weighted average rate (as a percent)	3.98%	3.54%

Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs

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Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Gross

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Finance Lease, Liability and Other Borrowings

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Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all debt, including all short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and capital lease obligations.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

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The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

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Amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Amount of long-term debt and capital leases due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of Notes with the highest claim on the assets of the issuer in case of bankruptcy or liquidation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer). Senior note holders are paid off in full before any payments are made to junior note holders.

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