Supermarkets have received instructions on how to deal with meat and dairy products from the UK following a day of confusion in which they waited for the Department of Agriculture to issue guidelines following the foot-and-mouth alert.
Some supermarkets removed products with pork, such as sausages and pork pies, that had originated in the UK. Others left the items on the shelves.
The shopping day had finished by the time the guidelines were issued via the Food Safety Authority's rapid alert system. The Department of Agriculture guidelines, outlining product withdrawals, were sent by email and fax to more than 200 contacts, including retailers, environmental health officers, public analysts and wholesalers.
Cured pigmeat products and uncooked pork sausages produced in the UK have to be removed from display and placed in in-store refrigerated storage. All UK milk products manufactured since February 1st, 2001, from milk that was not pasteurised are to be removed immediately from retail shelves.
Cooked meat products containing pigmeat, beef, sheepmeat, produced in the UK, ready meals, soups, cooked meat products in tins or bubblepack consumer packs which are currently on display in cabinets need not be removed.
Meanwhile, the focus of the investigation into the possible spread of the disease to Ireland switched last night to a mart in Co Tyrone, where a truck which had been in the Essex plant where foot-and-mouth has been found, was cleaned before travelling into the Republic.
The Northern authorities are concerned that if the truck was contaminated at the abattoir in Britain, contaminated bedding, manure or other material may have been left at the mart.
Meanwhile, Garda detectives were last night questioning a man about the movement of the truck as a Co Cavan farm remained sealed off.
The Food Safety Promotion Board has reassured consumers that they are not at risk from the current outbreak.