Debt (Schedule Of Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Comprehensive Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 3,214,094	$ 3,049,854
Cost of sales	2,426,241	2,299,572
Gross profit	787,853	750,282
Selling and distribution	504,235	485,802
General and administrative	129,505	164,662
General and administrative		167,400
Amortization of intangibles	2,285	2,738
Facility closing and reorganization costs	28,822	10,643
Other operating income		(19,490)
Interest expense	60,747	65,270
Other (income) expense, net	554	(48)
Income before income taxes	61,705	40,705
Income tax expense (benefit)	23,822	17,323
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	37,883	23,382
Net income	37,883	23,382
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest		1,881
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company	37,883	25,263
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	19,748	41,059
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company	57,631	66,322
Dean Foods Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
General and administrative	2,880
Interest expense	56,383
Other (income) expense, net	(2,900)
Income before income taxes	(56,363)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(21,551)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(34,812)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	72,695
Net income	37,883
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	6,464
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company	44,347
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net sales	3,116,724
Cost of sales	2,369,974
Gross profit	746,750
Selling and distribution	477,477
General and administrative	116,388
Amortization of intangibles	1,954
Facility closing and reorganization costs	28,822
Interest expense	2,346
Other (income) expense, net	2,997
Income before income taxes	116,766
Income tax expense (benefit)	46,009
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	70,757
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	1,938
Net income	72,695
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	132
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company	72,827
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net sales	97,370	99,994
Cost of sales	56,267	58,136
Gross profit	41,103	41,858
Selling and distribution	26,758	26,783
General and administrative	10,237
General and administrative		12,278
Amortization of intangibles	331
Interest expense	2,018	171
Other (income) expense, net	457	(547)
Income before income taxes	1,302	3,173
Income tax expense (benefit)	(636)	23
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	1,938	3,150
Net income	1,938	3,150
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest		1,881
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		5,031
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	13,152	27,290
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company	15,090	32,321
Eliminations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	(74,633)
Net income	(74,633)
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company	(74,633)
As Previously Reported [Member] | Dean Foods Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
General and administrative		2,659
Interest expense		62,321
Other (income) expense, net		(2,700)
Income from subsidiaries		(102,985)
Income before income taxes		40,705
Income tax expense (benefit)		17,323
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries		23,382
Net income		23,382
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest		1,881
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		25,263
Other comprehensive income, net of tax		13,658
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company		38,921
As Previously Reported [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net sales		2,949,860
Cost of sales		2,241,436
Gross profit		708,424
Selling and distribution		459,019
General and administrative		152,463
Facility closing and reorganization costs		10,643
Other operating income		(19,490)
Interest expense		2,778
Other (income) expense, net		3,199
Income before income taxes		99,812
Income tax expense (benefit)		42,477
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries		57,335
Net income		57,335
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		57,335
Other comprehensive income, net of tax		111
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company		57,446
As Previously Reported [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Income from subsidiaries		102,985
Income before income taxes		(102,985)
Income tax expense (benefit)		(42,500)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries		(60,485)
Net income		(60,485)
Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest		(1,881)
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		(62,366)
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company		(62,366)
As Restated [Member] | Dean Foods Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
General and administrative		2,659
Interest expense		62,321
Other (income) expense, net		(2,700)
Income before income taxes		(62,280)
Income tax expense (benefit)		(25,177)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries		(37,103)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries		62,366
Net income		25,263
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		25,263
Other comprehensive income, net of tax		13,658
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company		38,921
As Restated [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net sales		2,949,860
Cost of sales		2,241,436
Gross profit		708,424
Selling and distribution		459,019
General and administrative		152,463
Facility closing and reorganization costs		10,643
Other operating income		(19,490)
Interest expense		2,778
Other (income) expense, net		3,199
Income before income taxes		99,812
Income tax expense (benefit)		42,477
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of subsidiaries		57,335
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries		5,031
Net income		62,366
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		62,366
Other comprehensive income, net of tax		111
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company		62,477
As Restated [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries		(67,397)
Net income		(67,397)
Net income attributable to Dean Foods Company		(67,397)
Comprehensive income attributable to Dean Foods Company		$ (67,397)