Dean Foods NYSE: DF is the largest dairy processor and distributor in the world. The majority of milk purchased in the U.S. is Dean Milk.

Dean Foods grew through througout the 1980s and 1990s by purchasing many regional milk companies. In 2001, Dean Foods, then the second-largest milk company, was purchased by Suiza, then the largest. The resulting merged company was named Deans Food, making it the largest milk company by far.

Their brands also include organic and non-dairy milks such as Silk (soy milk) which are distributed through White Wave Foods. They are also the largest producer of soy milk in the United States, owning a second soy milk brand as well (Sun Soy). They also own Horizon Organics, the leading distributor of organic milk.

In addition, Dean Foods owns many other brands. Dairy products with any of the following brand names is owned by Dean: Adohr Farms, AltaDena, Barbe's, Barber's, Berkeley Farms, Borden, Broughton, Brown's Dairy, Celta, Country Delite, Country Fresh, Creamland, Dairy Ease, Dairy Fresh, Dean Foods Ultra, Foremost, Gandy's, Garelick, Hygeia, Land O'Lakes, Lehigh Valley Dairies, Louis Trauth, Mayfield Dairy, McArthur Dairy, Meadow Brook, Meadow Gold, Model Dairy, Oak Farms, PET Evaporated Milk, Price's, Purity, Reiter, Robinson Dairy, Schinkel's, Schepps, Shenandoah's Pride, Swiss Farms, T.G. Lee, Tuscan, and Verifine. Many brands of pickles are produced by Dean, including 80% of store-brand pickles. Dean also owns miscellaneous brands of sauces, olives, instant breakfasts, and other edibles.