Spain's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) denied entry and immediately withdrew from the market oranges imported from Egypt due to high levels of chlorpyrifos.

The organization has requested people to not consume the fruit due to excessive levels of the insecticide. 

The entity is a notification system established by the European Union to exchange information on identified hazards between member countries, supporting swift reactions by food safety authorities in case of risks to public health. The entity covers food, food contact materials and animal feed. 

The entity provides around-the-clock service to ensure that urgent notifications about hazardous foods are received and responded to collectively.

 Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, can directly affect human health if consumed and was banned four years ago by the European Commission after the governmental institution concluded that it posed a potential danger to humans.

The RASFF showed that 0.086 mg/kg (ppm) of the insecticide was found in the oranges, where the maximum limit is 0.01 mg/kg (ppm). The oranges did not reach the Spanish market thanks to rapid detection, but the entity advised the public to be careful and avoid consuming the oranges that arrived from Egypt. 

As usual, the RASFF does not provide further information about the brand of oranges or the potential impact they may cause if consumed.