POWER OF ATTORNEY



      Know all by these presents that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each of

Steven J. Kemps, Rachel A. Gonzales, Kristen N. Cunningham, Katherine K. Connell, Denise

Ebeling and Richard Stephens the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:



1. execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity as an

executive officer and/or director of Dean Foods Company (previously known as

Suiza Foods Corporation) (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4 and 5 in accordance with

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;



2. do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which may be

necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Forms 3, 4 or 5 and file such

form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock

exchange or similar authority; and



3. take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing which,

in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or

legally required by, the undersigned, it being understood that the documents

executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this

Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions

as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.



      The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do

and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the

exercise of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the

undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,

hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or

substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done, or shall lawfully have already done or caused to be

done, by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The undersigned

acknowledges that each of the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request

of the undersigned, is not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's

responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.



      This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no longer

required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in

securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing

delivered to the foregoing attorney-in-fact.



      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be

executed as of this 19th day of May 2011.



/s/ Hector M. Nevares

(Signature)



Hector M. Nevares

Typed Name