<?xml version="1.0"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="/Pages/Form4.xsl"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-07-24</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000018169</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>DOLE FOOD CO INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>DOLE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000875392</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MURDOCK DAVID H</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE DOLE DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WESTLAKE VILLAGE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>91362</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Chairman</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001474947</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>David H. Murdock Living Trust, dated May 28, 1986, as amended</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O DOLE FOOD COMPANY, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE DOLE DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WESTLAKE VILLAGE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>91362</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-07-24</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>105800</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>9.6685</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>40030886</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trust</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-07-25</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>173000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>10.4487</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>40203886</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trust</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>11784914</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Castle and Cooke Holdings, Inc.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The David H. Murdock Living Trust, dated May 28, 1986, as amended (&quot;Trust&quot;), purchased 105800 shares on the open market on July 24, 2012 at an average price of $9.6685 per share, as follows: 28996 shares in 3 transactions at $9.71; 1735 shares in 4 transactions at $9.70; 24375 shares in 5 transactions at $9.69; 13331 shares in 3 transactions at $9.68; 9700 shares in 7 transactions at $9.67; 2400 shares in 3 transactions at $9.66; 794 shares in 2 transactions at $9.65; 100 shares in 1 transaction at $9.64; 1200 shares in 2 transactions at $9.63; 500 shares in 1 transaction at $9.62; 15370 shares in 6 transactions at $9.61; 4489 shares in 2 transactions at $9.60; 1580 shares in 1 transaction at $9.59; 200 shares in 1 transaction at $9.58; 630 shares in 1 transaction at $9.57; 100 shares in 1 transaction at $9.56; 300 shares in 1 transaction at $9.55.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">These shares are owned directly by the Trust and indirectly by Mr. Murdock as sole trustee and beneficiary of the Trust</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The Trust purchased 173000 shares on the open market on July 25, 2012 at an average price of $10.4487 per share, as follows, reported in the following format: number of shares - price per share: 1100-$10.67; 100-$10.66; 500-$10.64; 300-$10.63; 1200-$10.58; 10000-$10.57; 100-$10.56; 2400-$10.55; 700-$10.54; 1800-$10.53; 2100-$10.52; 5988-$10.51; 18393-$10.50; 5012-$10.49; 15090-$10.48; 14685-$10.47; 13238-$10.46; 20844-$10.45; 5190-$10.44; 9870-$10.43; 2755-$10.42; 2096-$10.41; 4003-$10.40; 6210-$10.39; 2451-$10.38; 1100-$10.37; 2387-$10.36; 3200-$10.35; 2500-$10.34; 1671-$10.33; 3503-$10.32; 1400-$10.31; 1200-$10.30; 2600-$10.29; 1400-$10.28; 1014-$10.27; 1300-$10.26; 2550-$10.25; 100-$10.24; 700-$10.20; 100-$10.15; 150-$10.14. Each of the above was in a single transaction except that there were 2 transactions at $10.58.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">These shares are owned directly by Castle and Cooke Holdings, Inc. and indirectly by Mr. Murdock and the Trust</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Jeffrey Conner, attorney-in-fact for David H. Murdock</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-07-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Jeffrey Conner, attorney-in-fact for David H. Murdock Living Trust, dated May 28, 2986, as amended</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-07-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
