EXHIBIT 21

RUDDICK CORPORATION

Affiliated Companies As of
November 20, 2009

Listed below are the domestic
subsidiaries of Ruddick Corporation, (the Registrant) all of which are wholly
owned and are owned directly by the Registrant, unless otherwise indicated.

Subsidiary
    
    State of IncorporationAmerican & Efird, Inc. (3)
    North CarolinaAmerican &
      Efird Enterprises, Inc. (1)
    North
      CarolinaHarris Teeter, Inc. (3)
    North CarolinaHarris Teeter
      Properties, LLC (2)
    North
      CarolinaHarris-Teeter Services, Inc. (2)
    North CarolinaHTTAH, LLC
      (2)
    North
      CarolinaHTP Relo, LLC (2)
    North CarolinaRuddick of
      Delaware, Inc.
    DelawareRuddick Operating Company
    DelawareRuddco
      Management, Inc. (3)
    North
      CarolinaRDK Investments Company (3)
    North Carolina____________________


(1)
    
    Owned by American & Efird, Inc.(2)
    
    Owned by Harris Teeter, Inc.(3)
    
    Owned by Ruddick Operating Company


In the normal course of business, RDK
Investments Company and Harris Teeter Properties LLC from time to time makes
investments in corporations and partnerships that may result in ownership of
capital stock or other interests as an investment.

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Listed below are the foreign
subsidiaries of the Registrant, all of which are wholly owned, directly or
indirectly, by American & Efird, Inc., unless otherwise indicated. Pursuant
to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, certain entities that
are not deemed to be significant subsidiaries, individually or in the aggregate,
have been excluded from the list below.

|Subsidiary                                                                      |                      | Jurisdiction of Incorporation | 
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------- | 
|American & Efird (H.K.) Limited (1)                                             | Hong Kong           
|Dongguan Dongmei Thread Mfg. Co. Ltd.                                           | China               
|American & Efird (G.B.) Limited                                                 | England             
|American & Efird Canada Incorporated                                            | Canada              
|American & Efird International B.V.                                             | Netherlands         
|A&E Netherlands B.V.                                                            | Netherlands         
|American & Efird Italia S.p.A.                                                  | Italy               
|Hilos
      A&E de Costa Rica, S.A.                                             | Costa
      Rica    
|Distribuidora A&E de Costa Rica, S.A.                                           | Costa Rica          
|Exportadora A&E de Costa Rica, S.A.                                             | Costa
      Rica    
|Hilos A&E de El Salvador, S.A. de C.V. (1)                                      | El Salvador         
|Hilos American
      & Efird de Honduras, S.A. de C.V. (1)                      | Honduras            
|American & Efird de Mexico, S.A. de C.V (1)                                     | Mexico              
|Hilos American
      & Efird de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (1)                        | Mexico              
|Servicios American & Efird de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (1)                          | Mexico              
|American & Efird Mills (S) Pte. Ltd.                                            | Singapore           
|American & Efird (Malaysia) SDN. BHD.                                           | Malaysia            
|American &
      Efird (Polska) Sp. z o.o. (1)                                  | Poland              
|Hengmei Spinning Company, Ltd. - Joint venture, 80%
      owned                 | China               
|Hilos
      A&E Dominicana, Ltd. - Joint venture, 51% owned                     | Cayman
      Islands
|American and Efird Lanka (Private) Limited - Joint venture, 33 1/3%
      owned | Sri Lanka           
|American & Efird (Bangladesh) Ltd.  Joint venture,
      33 1/3% owned         | Bangladesh          
|American & Efird (South Africa) (Proprietary)
      Ltd.                        | South Africa        
|Bieze Stork B.V.                                                                | Netherlands         
|Huamei Thread Company Limited  Joint venture, 50%
      owned                  | China               
|Hilos A&E de Colombia S.A. (1)                                                  | Colombia            
|A&E Iplik Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi (1)                                  | Turkey              
|Jimei Spinning Company Limited  Joint venture, 80%
      owned                 | China               
|Linhas Bonfio S.A.  Joint venture, 43% owned (1)                               | Brazil              
|TSP Tovarna Sukancev in Trakov d.d.                                             | Slovenia            
|Vardhman Yarns and Threads Limited  Joint venture, 49%
      owned             | India               

|(1) |  | Single shares (or shares representing 2% or less of such entities)
      are owned by persons designated by American & Efird, Inc. in order to
      comply with local law.
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|   

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