China has issued a new regulation on food safety at schools to further improve nutrition and health standards at campuses.

The new regulation, published on March 21, was jointly launched by the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation.

As part of efforts to ensure food safety, school officials from kindergartens to high schools must accompany students during school meals, the regulation said.

Schools are also required to release details of food sources, suppliers and other information. Eligible schools and kindergartens can also establish a mechanism so that parents can eat with their children at campuses so that they could provide feedback over food safety and nutrition.

It also called for eligible schools and kindergartens to hire nutrition specialists to provide guidance to students. Schools should nurture healthy eating habits of students and step up monitoring and intervention to prevent malnutrition and obesity among students.

Under the regulation, food safety supervision departments must step up oversight over school food safety via regular inspections on and around campus and guide schools to carry out their food safety responsibilities.

The regulation, which will come into effect on April 1, is also aimed to establish a risk prevention and control system on school food and enable better prevention, emergency response and coping with school food safety accidents.