Employee Retirement and Profit Sharing Plans - Schedule of Information Regarding Contribution in Multiemployer Pension Plans (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total contribution	$ 29,148		$ 27,016		$ 24,612
Dean Foods Company
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total contribution	29,100		27,000		24,600
Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	916145047	[1]
Pension Plan Number	100	[1]
Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan | Dean Foods Company
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	916145047
Pension Plan Number	100
Total contribution	13,500		12,700		13,100
Surcharge Imposed	No	[2]
Central States Southeast And Southwest Areas Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	366044243	[3]
Pension Plan Number	100	[3]
Central States Southeast And Southwest Areas Pension Plan | Dean Foods Company
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	366044243
Pension Plan Number	100
Total contribution	11,100		9,500		8,600
Surcharge Imposed	No	[2]
Retail Wholesale Department Store International Union And Industry Pension Fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	630708442	[4]
Pension Plan Number	100	[4]
Retail Wholesale Department Store International Union And Industry Pension Fund | Dean Foods Company
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	630708442	[5]
Pension Plan Number	100	[5]
Total contribution	1,300	[5]	1,300	[5]	1,200	[5]
Surcharge Imposed	No	[2],[5]
Dairy Industry Union Pension Plan For Philadelphia Vicinity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	236283288	[6]
Pension Plan Number	100	[6]
Dairy Industry Union Pension Plan For Philadelphia Vicinity | Dean Foods Company
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer Identification Number	236283288	[5]
Pension Plan Number	100	[5]
Total contribution	1,800	[5]	1,800	[5]	1,500	[5]
Surcharge Imposed	Yes	[2],[5]
All Other Multiemployer Plans | Dean Foods Company
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total contribution	$ 1,400	[7]	$ 1,700	[7]	$ 200	[7]

[1] We are party to approximately 30 collective bargaining agreements that require contributions to this plan. These agreements cover a large number of employee participants and expire on various dates between 2014 and 2016. We do not believe that any one agreement is substantially more significant than another as none of these agreements individually represent greater than 15% of the total employee participants covered under this plan.

[2] Federal law requires that contributing employers to a plan in Critical status pay to the plan a surcharge to help correct the plan's financial situation. The amount of the surcharge is equal to a percentage of the amount we would otherwise be required to contribute to the plan and ceases once our related collective bargaining agreements are amended to comply with the provisions of the rehabilitation plan.

[3] There are approximately 30 collective bargaining agreements that govern our participation in this plan. The agreements expire on various dates between 2014 and 2017. The agreements expiring in 2015 represent approximately 30% of our total employee participants in this plan, and the agreements expiring in 2016 represent approximately 43% of our total participants in the plan. The remaining agreements have a wide variety of expiration dates between 2014 and 2017 and do not individually represent a significant percentage of our overall participants to this plan.

[4] We are subject to approximately 10 collective bargaining agreements with respect to this plan. Approximately 25% and 53% of our employee participants in this plan are covered by the agreements expiring in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

[5] During the 2012 and 2011 plan years, our contributions to these plans exceeded 5% of total plan contributions. At the date of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Forms 5500 were not available for the plan years ending in 2013.

[6] We are party to three collective bargaining agreements with respect to this plan. The agreement expiring in September 2017 is the most significant as more than 85% of our employee participants in this plan are covered by that agreement.

[7] Amounts shown represent our contributions to all other multiemployer pension and other postretirement benefit plans, which are immaterial both individually and in the aggregate to our Consolidated Financial Statements.