title: Literature research of the Nutrition Improvement Programme for Rural Compulsory Education Students in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the Nutrition Improvement Programme for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) in China and to share the experiences of developing and implementing nationwide school meal programmes with other countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The article is based on a literature review of technical documents and reports of NIPRCES and relevant national legislation, technical reports and studies on school nutrition, minutes of meetings and national conferences, and official documents of the National Office of Student Nutrition and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  People's Republic of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Published papers, national policies, legislation and unpublished official documents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 23 million rural compulsory education students were covered by NIPRCES. In the development and implementation process of NIPRCES, fifteen ministries and national committees were involved and an efficient collaborative mechanism was established. All NIPRCES-covered schools were required to serve meals on a daily basis. By the end of June 2012, the proportions of students choosing 'school feeding', 'food package' and 'family feeding' modes were respectively 64.0 %, 32.0 % and 4.0 %. The central government subsidized school meals annually by more than $US 2.5 billion and invested $US 4.8 billion on school kitchens to support this programme.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NIPRCES is a significant movement of governmental nutritional intervention in China. Food safety, financial security, decentralization and other potential concerns should be considered and lessons can be learned from other countries. Further relevant research and a nationwide monitoring and evaluation programme are needed.
authors.affiliation: 1National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety,Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,No. 29 Nanwei Road,Xi Cheng District,Beijing 100050,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety,Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,No. 29 Nanwei Road,Xi Cheng District,Beijing 100050,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Finance,Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China,Beijing,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zuyin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: 1National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety,Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,No. 29 Nanwei Road,Xi Cheng District,Beijing 100050,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety,Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,No. 29 Nanwei Road,Xi Cheng District,Beijing 100050,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guansheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D002681:China; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D005192:Family Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000191:economics; D005522:Food Services / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D062407:Meals / Q000208:ethnology; D018673:Nutrition Policy / Q000191:economics; D012423:Rural Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D012574:Schools / Q000191:economics
keywords: Implementation