World’s first salmon ATMs in Singapore

Salmon lovers can now get the fish from the Norwegian Salmon ATM found at several locations around the island. The vending machines are operated by local company Norwegian Salmon.

Primary school teacher Mavis Chua, 59, was excited about being able to buy salmon any time.

She told The New Paper: "It's convenient for those working full time, because we won't have to rush to the market in the morning just to get fish."

The machines offer ease and convenience by operating cashless 24/7. There are currently nine of them in areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands and Bukit Batok, all of them certified by the National Environment Agency.

The vending machines operate at -20 deg C and sell 200g of vacuum-packed frozen salmon at $5.90.

If kept frozen, the fish can last up to two years.

The first salmon vending machine was launched at Wisteria Mall last month.

The New Paper checked out the vending machine at the mall in Yishun and while there were no buyers at that time, curious onlookers told TNP that they were interested in trying the salmon.

"My whole family love salmon - they eat it at least once a month. I would buy it, but I only have cash with me now," said Madam Zuraidah Buang, 56, a part-time cleaner.

A concern the onlookers had was the cashless system.

Madam Chua, who was at the Ang Mo Kio vending machine, said her estate has a lot of old folks, so the machine "may be too complex for them since they can't pay with cash".

FRESH?

Another common concern was the freshness of the salmon.

IT executive Mr Amoz Lim, 29, said: "I'm not sure how fresh it is because I can't see it. I think I can get it cheaper from the supermarket near my house, especially since it's frozen."

The man behind the Norwegian Salmon ATM, Mr Manish Kumar, told TNP: "We are planning to include a digital screen on each machine with educational information and salmon recipes."

Dr Wayne Forday, food safety trainer and senior adviser of the School of Life Science and Chemical Technology at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, told TNP: "There should not be a problem as long as the salmon is frozen.

"Consumers should look for excessive levels of ice crystals which may indicate that the fish was defrosted and then refrozen due to a machine fault."