SINGAPORE – Changi Airport is testing new systems that will not only boost security but reduce inconvenience for travellers.

The trials are being carried out at two boarding gates at Terminal 3 from now until June.

The first involves the use of a new computed tomography (CT) security screening equipment to screen hand luggage.

This will allow the checks to be done without passengers having to remove electronic devices such as laptops and tablets from their bags and placing them in a separate tray.

To improve the process, the trial will also comprise a new automatic tray return system.

With this automated system, trays can be presented to two passengers simultaneously at the start of the screening belt, enabling both to deposit their bags at the same time.

The trays are automatically returned to the line after each screening cycle is completed, removing the need for security screening officers to manually bring the trays back to the start of the screening belt.

This will improve screening efficiency and reduce waiting times for passengers, said Changi Airport Group (CAG) during a media preview on Friday (April 22).

“The overall flow will be better, and passengers will find it more expedient to pick up hand-carry luggage which have cleared screening,” the airport said.

A separate trial is also being done on a new body scanner.

The machine uses millimetre wave technology to detect both metallic and non-metallic items.

Passengers, after removing items in their pockets or on their body, simply need to walk into the body scanner and be scanned, a process that takes a few seconds.

The data will be analysed by a computer algorithm.

If a concealed item is detected, a body outline – that does not show body curves and other private parts – will indicate where the item is hidden.

This allows the security officer to zoom in on the identified area to check the item.

If nothing is detected, a green screen with an “OK” appears and the passenger clears quickly.

The millimetre wave technology has been certified to be safe and poses no known health and safety risks as it utilises a very low-power non-ionising form of electromagnetic technology, Changi Airport Group said.

The amount of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the body scanner is many times smaller than that emitted by a mobile phone.

CAG’s vice-president of aviation security Alan Tan said: “At Changi Airport, we take safety and security seriously and are committed to maintaining the highest standards… The data and passenger feedback we collect from the trials will help us assess the effectiveness and operational efficiencies of these new systems, before we ascertain their suitability for implementation at the airport.”

This article was first published on April 22, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE – The impact to Singapore of the shrimps and prawns from Malaysia said to contain traces of banned antibiotics seems limited, for now.

Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) told The Straits Times that it has not detected veterinary drug residues such as nitrofurans and amphenicols in prawns and shrimps from Malaysia.

“Veterinary drugs are not permitted in food including prawns and shrimps. Affected prawns found to contain veterinary drug residues…would not be allowed to be imported or sold,” an AVA spokesman said.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has claimed that shrimp and prawns from Malaysia contained traces of banned antibiotics nitrofurans and chloramphenicol in shipments to the US.

AVA said that as part of its routine surveillance and inspection programme, imported prawns and shrimps are monitored and sampled for food safety and compliance with AVA’s standards and requirements. Food products that fail the authority’s tests are not allowed to be sold here.

In 2015, Singapore imported 16,400 tonnes of prawns and shrimps, with about 56 per cent, or 91,000 tonnes, from Malaysia. Other sources of prawns and shrimp include Indonesia (12 per cent) and Vietnam (11 per cent).

Supermarkets here said their suppliers carry out checks on shrimps and prawns imported from Malaysia to ensure food safety.

NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage and Giant said they also diversify their sources of shrimps and prawns by importing from other countries. FairPrice said this is to ensure that it is “not reliant on one single source of supply”.

The two antibiotics found in shrimps and prawns from Malaysia are toxic to humans, and can cause health issues, said food safety expert Jorgen Schlundt from Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU’s) School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

“A number of human health effects have been found from chloramphenicol, the worst being (too few bloodcells), estimated to only affect very few people exposed, but unfortunately often results in death for those affected. Nitrofurans have been found to cause cancer in lab animals, and therefore represents a concern in relation to human cancer,” said Professor Schlundt.

Dr William Chen, director of the Food Science and Technology programme at NTU, said traces of the antibiotics, when passed on from farm-raised seafood to humans “may also contribute to the emergence of resistant bacteria strains in our bodies, which would also compromise the effective antibiotics treatment of subsequent bacterial infections”.

This article was first published on April 22, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE – For the third year in a row, thousands of AsiaOne readers have voted ION Orchard as the Best Shopping Centre in Singapore.

The shopping centre at the heart of the tourist belt also topped the Luxury Shopping Centre category in the AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards, making it a clean sweep for ION Orchard.

Despite the challenging retail climate, ION Orchard remains unfazed. Mr Chris Chong, chief executive officer of Orchard Turn Developments, which manages ION Orchard, explained that the experiential shopping remains the key in ION Orchard’s success.

“We want to ensure that shopping stays relevant, especially where the brick and mortar is concerned, vis-a-vis what we see today in e-commerce,” he said.

“We are constantly trying to bring the best experience in our retail concepts and the campaigns that we do.”

This year’s accolade brings ION Orchard’s tally to five wins since the start of the People’s Choice Awards in 2008. Its last wins were in 2015, 2014, 2010, and 2009.

Despite these achievements, ION Orchard does not intend to rest on its laurels.

Besides opening a new link to Orchard Road and Scotts Road in 2015, the 7-year-old shopping centre added brands like Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, and Moncler to its retail fashion and luxury the same year.

“Following the successful refresh that we did last year, we recently unveiled the new facade of ION Orchard.

“Our plan is to refresh constantly and look at new concepts both in Singapore and overseas markets. With that, we would also wish to delight our shoppers further by rewarding our loyalty members,” revealed Mr Chong.

“We are confident in our vision to bring the best and our shopping experiences to all our shoppers.”

This year’s awards saw over 200,000 votes cast across 30 categories.

Over 200 guests attended the awards ceremony held at the Singapore Press Holdings auditorium.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

Best Shopping Centre

ION Orchard

Nex

VivoCity

Best Luxury Shopping Centre

ION Orchard

Ngee Ann City

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands