EXHIBIT 21

RUDDICK CORPORATION

Affiliated Companies As of November 30, 2005

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 Incorporation
|-------------------------------------- |  | ----------------------
|                                       |  |                       
|American & Efird, Inc.(4)              |  | North Carolina        
|American & Efird Enterprises, Inc. (1) |  | North Carolina        
|Harris Teeter, Inc.(4)                 |  | North Carolina        
|Harris Teeter Properties, LLC (2)      |  | North Carolina        
|Harris-Teeter Services, Inc.(2)        |  | North Carolina        
|Harris Teeter Resources, Inc. (2)      |  | North Carolina        
|Ruddick of Delaware, Inc.              |  | Delaware              
|Ruddick Investment Company             |  | North Carolina        
|Ruddick Operating Company              |  | Delaware              
|Ruddco Management, Inc.(3)             |  | North Carolina        
|RDK Investments Company (3)            |  | North Carolina        

|   
|---
|(1)
|(2)
|(3)
|(4)

In the normal course of business, Ruddick Investment 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.



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 Inc.                                                    |  | Canada                       
|American & Efird International 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 Guatemala, S.A.                                                    |  | Guatemala                    
|Exportadora A&E de Guatemala, S.A.                                              |  | Guatemala                    
|Compañia Comercial A&E de Guatemala, S.A.                                       |  | Guatemala                    
|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                     
|Hilos American & Efird de Nicaragua, S.A.(1)                                    |  | Nicaragua                    
|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 & Efird (Haiti), S.A.   Joint venture, 51% owned (1)                  |  | Haiti                        
|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.  Joint Venture, 49% owned |  | South Africa                 
|Bieze Stork B.V.                                                                |  | Netherlands                  
|Linofil Lda.                                                                    |  | Portugal                     
|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, 30% owned (1)                               |  | Brazil                       

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