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EXHIBIT 12

DEAN HOLDING COMPANY

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed charges
for the Years Ended December 31, 2003 and 2002 and the
Period from May 28, 2001 to December 31, 2001 and the
Fiscal Years Ended May 2001, 2000 and 1999

|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        | 
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------ | ------------ | ------- | --------------- |  | --------------------- | ------- | ------ |  | ---- | ------ | ------ |  |  | ------- | ------ |  |  | ------- | ------ |  |  | ------- | ------ | 
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                
|                                                                                                 |                          | Successor    |         | Predecessor    
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                
|                                                                                                 |                          | Year Ended   |         | Period from     |  |                      
|                                                                                                 |                          | December 31, |         | May 28, 2001 to |  | Fiscal Year Ended May
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         | December 31,    |  |                      
|                                                                                                 |                          | 2003         |         | 2002            |  | 2001                  |         | 2001   |  | 2000 |        | 1999  
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |       
|Income from continuing operations before taxes                                                   |                          |              | 255,227 |                 |  |                       | 241,548 |        |  |      | 36,501 |        |  |  | 110,550 |        |  |  | 135,810 |        |  |  | 94,945  |       
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |       
|Fixed charges:                                                                                   |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |       
|                                                                                                 | Interest expense         |              |         | 55,183          |  |                       |         | 56,287 |  |      |        | 38,655 |  |  |         | 74,053 |  |  |         | 50,147 |  |  |         | 39,098 | 
|                                                                                                 | Portion of rentals (33%) |              |         | 13,700          |  |                       |         | 13,645 |  |      |        | 8,963  |  |  |         | 14,924 |  |  |         | 14,181 |  |  |         | 12,488 | 
|                                                                                                 | Capitalized interest     |              |         | 520             |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        | 
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |       
|                                                                                                 | Total fixed charges      |              |         | 69,403          |  |                       |         | 69,932 |  |      |        | 47,618 |  |  |         | 88,977 |  |  |         | 64,328 |  |  |         | 51,586 | 
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |       
|Earnings from continuing operations before taxes
    and fixed charges less capitalized interest |                          |              | 324,110 |                 |  |                       | 311,480 |        |  |      | 84,119 |        |  |  | 199,527 |        |  |  | 200,138 |        |  |  | 146,531 |       
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |       
|Ratio of earnings to fixed charges                                                               |                          |              | 4.67    |                 |  |                       | 4.45    |        |  |      | 1.77   |        |  |  | 2.24    |        |  |  | 3.11    |        |  |  | 2.84    |       
|                                                                                                 |                          |              |         |                 |  |                       |         |        |  |      |        |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |        |  |  |         |