FORM 4	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549	OMB APPROVAL
X Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).	STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response. . .0.5 Filed By Romeo and Dye's Section 16 Filer www.section16.net

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* Graffunder, Herman L.	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Dean Foods Company (DF)		6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)     Director                                       10% Owner X Officer (give title below)          Other (specify below) President, Morningstar Foods Inc.
(Last)      (First)     (Middle) 2515 McKinney Avenue, Suite 1200	3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (voluntary)	4. Statement for Month/Day/Year March 20, 2003
(Street) Dallas, TX 75201		5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)	7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person     Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)     (State)     (Zip)	Table I — Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Trans- action Date (Month/ Day/ Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/ Year)	3. Trans- action Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 & 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Follow- ing Reported Transactions(s) (Instr. 3 & 4)	6. Owner- ship Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/20/03		M		8,000	A	$17.1250	10,751	D
Common Stock	03/20/03		S		8,000	D	$42.8700	2,751	D
Common Stock	03/20/03		M		80,000	A	$18.7188	82,751	D
Common Stock	03/20/03		S		80,000	D	$42.8700	2,751	D
Common Stock	03/20/03		M		12,000	A	$18.7188	14,751	D
Common Stock	03/20/03		S		12,000	D	$42.8700	2,751	D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number

FORM 4 (continued) Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conver- sion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Trans- action Date (Month/ Day/ Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/ Day/ Year)

4. Trans- action Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 & 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/ Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 & 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Owner- ship Form of Deriv- ative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exer-cisable

Expira- tion Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Incentive Stock Option

$17.6875

01/29/00

01/29/09

Common Stock

16,800

16,800

D

Incentive Stock Option

$21.5625

01/22/02

01/22/11

Common Stock

9,316

9,316

D

Incentive Stock Option

$30.5250

01/14/03

01/14/12

Common Stock

3,276

3,276

D

Non-Qualified Stock Option

$17.1250

03/20/03

M

8,000

06/04/00

06/04/09

Common Stock

8,000

26,000

D

Non-Qualified Stock Option

$17.6875

01/29/00

01/29/09

Common Stock

21,200

21,200

D

Non-Qualified Stock Option

$18.7188

03/20/03

M

80,000

01/04/01

04/04/10

Common Stock

80,000

0

D

Non-Qualified Stock Option

$21.5625

01/22/02

01/22/11

Common Stock

80,684

80,684

D

Non-Qualified Stock Option

$30.5250

01/14/03

01/14/12

Common Stock

196,724

196,724

D

Non-Qualified Stock Option

$18.7188

03/20/03

M

12,000

01/04/01

01/04/10

Common Stock

12,000

0

D

Explanation of Responses:

By: /s/ Herman L. Graffunder
              
**Signature of Reporting Person March 20, 2003
Date

**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
          If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.