ShopDairyFree.com

You don't have a real issue until somebody opens a store to cater to your needs, and for the longest time no stores in the real world or online were set aside for those who were lactose intolerant or had milk allergies. A few years ago, no-dairy.com tried to make it work on the Net but it seems to have disappeared.

The good news is that a new contender is trying to give it a go.

ShopDairyFree.com is the name of the store, and you can get there by typing www.shopdairyfree.com into your browser. But you'll get redirected to http://www.shopbydiet.com/store/dairyfree/ or the even more ungainly http://www.shopbydiet.com/store/dairyfree/index.php?diet_info=0,3. Doesn't matter. They all work equally well.

ShopByDiet.com is the parent site that provides online access to numerous special diet items. Besides lactose-free foods, you can also select casein-free, dairy-free, kosher, egg-free, soy-free, and many more.

That main page, however, just brings up an unsorted list of foods many pages long and is difficult to sort through. The ShopDairyFree page breaks the main list down into alphabetical categories from baby needs to vitamins & supplements. Some of the categories are far better stocked than others. Beverages was a real disappointment with only four selections offered.

However, if you are searching for a particular brand or don't have local access to a store that sells these products, even a limited supply can be more than welcome.

They take credit cards and offer limited free shipping for orders under ten pounds but costing over $99 and discounted shipping for heavier offers. They say, "UPS ground shipping is calculated for the contiguous United States and most of Canada. UPS 2-day air service is calculated for Alaska, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico."

If you're in Chicago, their store is located at:

ShopDairyFree.com
Natural Health Foods, Inc.
411 E Ogden
Naperville, IL 60563

Other Contact info:

No email address is given, but their contact page is: http://www.shopbydiet.com/store/dairyfree/contact.php?diet_info=0,3

Phone: 630-355-4840

Instant Message (when available) on AIM username: ShopByDiet

Or write:
ShopDairyFree.com
c/o Natural Health Foods, Inc.
411 E Ogden
Naperville, IL 60563

I have not used this site and I have no personal knowledge of its goods or its effectiveness. Let me know what you think.