EXHIBIT 21

RUDDICK CORPORATION

Affiliated Companies As of November 30, 2004



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) |  | Owned by American & Efird, Inc.
|--- |  | -------------------------------

|(2) |  | Owned by Harris Teeter, Inc.
|--- |  | ----------------------------

|(3) |  | Owned by Ruddick Investment Company
|--- |  | -----------------------------------

|(4) |  | Owned by Ruddick Operating Company
|--- |  | ----------------------------------



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                    
|Compania
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. BND.                                         |  |  |  | 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, 60% 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                       






|(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.
|--- |  | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------