Record participation and spiking prices have spurred a food assistance program for families with young children to limit the types of juices and cheese that are allowed.

Starting today, the 35,447 people in the federal Women, Infants, and Children program no longer will be allowed to buy bottled juice and shredded 8-ounce packages of cheese using checks distributed by WIC, said officials with the state Health Department, which administers the program.

"Food costs have increased and statewide participation in the WIC Program has gone up by over 1,100 participants from June to July to an all-time high of 35,447 low-income women, infants and children," said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, Health Department director. "In order to continue serving all eligible families, some choices had to be limited to cut costs."

WIC will continue to pay for frozen concentrate juices and 1-pound blocks or balls of cheese.

Gina Medeiros, 23, a single mother with three children, has used WIC since giving birth to her first child in 2005. She said limiting juices to frozen concentrate will make it more difficult for her because she is a resident of a homeless shelter, and has no access to a freezer.

"Well, in my point of view it's going to be harder now with the juices. We live in a shelter so other people have an easier time with making the concentrate juice. With the bottled juice we don't have to keep it in the freezer, we can keep it out," said Medeiros, who is living at the Pai'olu Kaiaulu emergency transitional shelter in Wai'anae.

"I have three kids and one more on the way and this a good program because we don't have to buy milk or baby formula — they help you with that."

Said Melanie Murakami, the WIC Program support section chief: "The cutbacks on bottled juice and the packaged cheese will allow us to serve more. We do expect and anticipate an increase of more participants due to the change in economy."

Officials estimate the average price difference between the bottled and frozen concentrate juice is $2 per serving. Based on the current usage of 143,000 bottles per month, the WIC Program intends to save about $3.4 million a year.

"The nutritional value of the package is not compromised by these changes," Fukino said.

Other changes are planned, such as issuing vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, as well as baby food, which are not currently provided.

"They are trying to compromise the food packages and keep the costs the same," Murakami said. "Some juice, milk, and cheeses will be taken away to include the fruits and vegetables. The rising food costs weren't anticipated, so that will have to be taken into consideration."

WIC is for women who are either pregnant, breast-feeding, or postpartum, and for infants and children younger than 5 who meet income guidelines and have a medical or nutritional risk.