Goodwill And Intangible Assets (Changes In The Carrying Amount Of Goodwill) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Segment [Line Items]
Balance, beginning				$ 3,179,192,000		$ 3,272,814,000
Goodwill impairment	(149,800,000)		(1,900,000,000)	(2,075,836,000)		0		0
Acquisitions and purchase accounting adjustments						(4,696,000)
Foreign currency translation				(3,655,000)		(6,487,000)
Goodwill transferred to assets held for sale/Divestitures	(3,996,000)	[1]		(3,996,000)	[1]	(82,439,000)	[2]
Other				59,566,000	[1]
Balance, ending	1,155,271,000			1,155,271,000		3,179,192,000		3,272,814,000
Goodwill in connection with divestitures	3,996,000	[1]		3,996,000	[1]	82,439,000	[2]
Fresh Dairy Direct [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Segment [Line Items]
Balance, beginning				2,163,785,000		2,223,565,000
Goodwill impairment				(2,075,836,000)
Acquisitions and purchase accounting adjustments						(4,696,000)
Goodwill transferred to assets held for sale/Divestitures	(1,108,000)	[1]		(1,108,000)	[1]	(55,084,000)	[2]
Balance, ending	86,841,000			86,841,000		2,163,785,000
Goodwill in connection with divestitures	1,108,000	[1]		1,108,000	[1]	55,084,000	[2]
WhiteWave-Alpro [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Segment [Line Items]
Balance, beginning				706,425,000		712,912,000
Foreign currency translation				(3,655,000)		(6,487,000)
Other				59,566,000	[1]
Balance, ending	762,336,000			762,336,000		706,425,000
Morningstar [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Segment [Line Items]
Goodwill transferred to assets held for sale/Divestitures	(2,888,000)	[1]		(2,888,000)	[1]	(27,355,000)	[2]
Balance, ending	306,094,000			306,094,000		308,982,000		336,337,000
Goodwill in connection with divestitures	2,888,000	[1]		2,888,000	[1]	27,355,000	[2]
Mountain High And Private Label Yogurt [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Segment [Line Items]
Goodwill transferred to assets held for sale/Divestitures						(82,400,000)
Goodwill in connection with divestitures						82,400,000
WhiteWave [Member]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets by Segment [Line Items]
Increase in goodwill				$ 59,600,000

[1] In the fourth quarter of 2010, we entered into agreements to sell our Mountain High and private label yogurt operations. In connection with these divestitures, goodwill of $82.4 million was allocated to these operations and recorded as assets held for sale as of December 31, 2010.

[2] In 2011, we identified that we had not set up a deferred tax liability for a trademark acquired as part of our acquisition of WhiteWave in 2002. We corrected this error as of December 31, 2011 and recorded an increase in the goodwill attributable to our WhiteWave reporting unit of $59.6 million, with a corresponding increase in deferred tax liabilities. See Note 8.