Customers abroad are worried about the safety of Irish food, but no one is refusing to take it so far - that seems to be the message Irish exporters are getting as foot-and-mouth disease concerns spread throughout Europe and beyond.
Caution, concern and reassurance are required, according to agencies representing exporting companies. And they all stress that customers must realise that the Republic does not have any case of foot-and-mouth disease.
There had been fears that workers might have been issued with protective notice in case there was an outbreak. But many food companies here are busier than ever because of the closure of companies in Britain. Dr Noel Cawley, chief executive of the Irish Dairy Board, said dairy products did not pose a problem. "We're operating under a regulated regime which means milk and milk products will have to be heat-treated in a certain way.
"Products like cheese are slightly acidic, so the virus doesn't live in it. That doesn't necessarily mean customers will want to buy the product.
"The Americans have only one concern: they don't want the stuff going into animal feed. It's an animal disease. Once it's properly pasteurised, it won't have that problem, but negotiations will be necessary."
This is a low period in the milk year - a serious time would be May and June. Dr Cawley explained: "This is only March and it's fairly cold. And a lot of markets would be serviced from last summer's butter."
He said a lot of the dairy processors might find that extra heat treatment would reduce throughput. And if customers still did not want the product, there was always intervention. "There will be no meltdown on the dairy side. We should be able to manage," he said.
Mr Michael Duffy, chief executive of An Bord Bia, said customers were looking for clarification and were aware of the situation because there was so much coverage in the media.
"Questions certainly are being raised," he said. "So far, the industry has been able to handle them. If a case is confirmed, that is a different situation. But now they're looking for reassurance and clarification."
The unilateral action taken by France was causing concern. "That gets publicity," he said. "People want the facts. They are talking about contingency plans, they want certification. If other countries were following France that would cause difficulties."
Dr Patrick Wall, chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, said that while human health issues were not involved with foot-and-mouth, it had ramifications for the food industry because international purchasers were worried that the virus, which can adhere to packaging, pallets and vehicles, would travel with food to other countries.
Dr Wall said that although meat products would be banned in the event of an outbreak, dairy products could travel under certification, but customers might decide they did not want to run the risk of the virus adhering to packaging or vehicles.
Any effect on humans from the disease was minimal and mild, he said. "You could get a mild flu-like illness in some people handling the animals. The blister is full of virus. People handling the animals and people in the laboratories could contract it, but these are isolated cases."
