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SINGAPORE: Netizens are responding to an NTUC Learning Hub advertisement for a security supervisor position, saying that skilling up and working as a security supervisor could earn S$1,839 monthly. An online user took to social media on Tuesday (June 20) to share an old job posting news thread showcasing an NTUC Learning Hub advertisement for a security supervisor position.    “Skill up to be a security supervisor,” the tarp read, with the words “Earn from S$1,839 monthly” highlighted.  Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore Over the course of a few days, many online users took to the comments section to respond to the advertisement, many sharing their concerns over the low rate being offered.    “With the infrastructure we built in the 70-90s, is it too much to ask for better-paying jobs?” wrote one, adding, “Without disrespect to the security industry.” Another said, “Salary so low, how to survive?”  Still, a third shed a different light on the conditions of some people who work in security, saying, “Security do not have a proper place for resting…(they) always rest at rubbish points.” See also  DBS CEO Piyush Gupta’s salary down 27% at S$11.2M after pay cut Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore “With such (a) low salary, still needs to attend their course,” another online user pointed out.  One commenter, in particular, took a different route and called out the government. “So this is (this) what our so-called leaders aspire the citizens to be? Earning $1.8k after training? While they earn millions and stay at huge B&W bungalows that can fit many HDB BTOs?$1.8k is not even a living wage at all- all thanks to the high cost of living created by these MIW. Time to VTO.” Image: FB screengrab / Umbrage Singapore Still, another online user wondered if S$1.8k was enough to feed a family of one child. 

Over-the-counter protein powders may contain disturbing levels of lead and cadmium, with the highest amounts found in plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavored products, according to a new investigation. There is no level of lead that is safe for humans, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Cadmium is a carcinogen which is also toxic to the body’s heart, kidneys, gut, brain, respiratory and reproductive systems, according to the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “On average, organic protein powders had three times more lead and twice the amount of cadmium compared to non-organic products,” said Jaclyn Bowen, executive director of the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit dedicated to transparent food labeling that released the new report Thursday. Plant-based powders, such as those made from soy, rice, peas and other plants, contained three times more lead than whey-based products, according to the report. (Whey is the liquid byproduct of cheesemaking.) Plants naturally absorb heavy metals from the planet’s crust but can contain elevated levels if grown in soil that has been further contaminated by mining, industrial waste, and some pesticides and fertilizers. Another key source of contamination in protein powders was chocolate flavoring, according to the report. “Chocolate-flavored protein powders contained four times more lead and up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored powders,” Bowen said. Despite being rich in flavonoids, antioxidants and other beneficial minerals, dark chocolate, or cacao, has been found to contain high levels of heavy metals. A July 2024 study found 43% of six dozen dark chocolate products exceeded California’s Proposition 65’s maximum allowable dose level for lead of 0.5 parts per million. “Heavy metal contaminant is a global food safety problem,” Bowen said. “These contaminants are basically everywhere, including in things that are being represented as health foods.” The Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry association that represents supplement manufacturers, told CNN via email that the new report did not provide sufficient transparency about the criteria used for contamination thresholds and how products were selected. “Without such clarity, consumers and industry stakeholders cannot fully evaluate the validity of the claims,” said Andrea Wong, CRN’s senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. “Modern analytical techniques can detect even trace levels of naturally occurring elements, such as heavy metals, which are present in soil, air, and water,” Wong said. “These trace levels are often well below established safety thresholds set by federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” Good news on BPA For the new investigation, the Clean Label Project purchased 160 products from 70 of the best-selling brands of protein powders. The brands were not disclosed in the report, however. “We do not disclose the names of companies we test in order to maintain fairness and consistency and to avoid potential conflicts of interest,” Bowen said. Protein powder samples were then sent to an independent certified laboratory, which ran nearly 36,000 individual tests on 258 different contaminants, including heavy metals, bisphenols, phthalates and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. However, only levels of lead, cadmium, bisphenol A and its cousin bisphenol S, more commonly known as BPA and BPS, were included in the 2024 report. Data on other contaminants will be released in a later update, Bowen said. Bisphenols are hormone disruptors that studies have linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children. In adults, the chemicals are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer and a 49% higher risk of early death within 10 years. Bisphenol A was widely used to create baby bottles, sippy cups and infant formula containers until frightened parents boycotted those products more than a decade ago. A similar investigation of protein powders by Clean Label in 2018 found high levels of bisphenols. The 2024 report, however, had good news, Bowen said. “We found BPA and BPS in only three of 160 protein powders, compared to 55% of the products we tested in 2018,” she said. Overall, 47% of the 160 protein powder samples tested by the Clean Label Project in 2024 exceeded Prop 65 regulatory guidelines, the report said. About 21% of the powders contained levels twice as high as the Prop 65 limit, Bowen said. Nearly 80% of the plant-based and organic protein powders tested were over the Prop 65 limit for lead. However, only 26% of collagen-based protein products and 28% of the whey-based products exceeded the California lead limit.