Nutrition program to benefit more students in poor regions

China will expand its student nutrition program to cover key rural areas in 2017, Xinhua learned Thursday.

China launched the pilot nutrition improvement program in 2011 for elementary and middle school students in poor areas, allocating three yuan (US$0.45) per day to each student to cover meals.

The next stage of the pilot will see all national-level poverty alleviation development counties benefit from the program.

According to a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Education, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, the nutrition program is part of a slew of targeted poverty alleviation measures.

School dining halls will also be built or expanded in the next stage of the program, according to the notice.

It also urged local authorities to improve food preparation and supervision, to ensure food is safe as well as nutritious.