New bottled liquid scanner being tested

Airline passengers may one day be able to bring soft drinks and full-size bottles on board again.

Homeland security officials recently put the latest generation of a bottled liquid scanner to the test during a demonstration at Albuquerque's international airport. Everything from bottled water and Champagne to shampoo and pink liquid laxatives were scanned to make sure explosives weren't inside.

The device, about the size of a small refrigerator, uses magnetic resonance to read the liquids' molecular makeup, even when the substances are in metal containers. Within 15 seconds, a light on top of the simple-looking metal box flashes red or green, depending on whether there's danger.

The device is so sensitive it can tell the difference between red and white wine, and between different types of soda.

The technology is still a few years from being deployed in the nation's airports, where fears of liquid explosives have stopped passengers from bringing more than small amounts of lotions and other toiletries in their carry-on bags.