Ive always had a sweet tooth, so when the sugar substitute, Equal, came along, I was an early adopter.

Of course, the only problem with Equal is the price per packet, which I believe is about three times as expensive as the next well-known brand, the one in the pink wrappers. Naturally, I have to have expensive tastes. To me, the blue stuff tastes better.

For years, Ive been buying Equal in the restaurant size box, with 2500 packets. This lasts me for months, and it brings the price in line with the pink stuff. But now, the wholesale to the public market I use never seems to have it in stock.

Ive tried three different locations in the same day, hunting for it, to no avail. Ive interrogated stockers, asking them when shipments were due. Its getting to the point that I think it may be easier to find a large, cheap, rent controlled apartment in Manhattan.

Down the street is a unit of Trader Joes, a small boutique market. They dont have Equal, but they do have a customer service philosophy. When you reach the register, they ask, Did you find what you wanted? and they seem genuinely interested in hearing and responding to your answer.

They believe if they dont have your item in stock at the time you need it, they messed up and should make inventory adjustments. The other place, which Ill call Discount Barn, treats you as if youre a hapless fool who just seems to choose the wrong time to come in.

Its your dumb luck that you cant snare one of these elusive boxes, so buy a bunch of smaller packages and pay four times as much.

Im at the point where Im going to call Equal, the company, and learn if I have a chance to get the big boxes elsewhere.

Failing this, I may just have to drop this item from my diet, because trying to find it, while encountering such poor service, is leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman 2006