THE RESULTS of tests carried out in the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Backweton, Maynooth, Co Kildare, on cattle exposed to the contaminated feed at the centre of the dioxin food scare, are expected to be available later today.
Earlier samples from 11 herds found eight of them negative, while three samples were "technically non-compliant with the limits but not at a level that would pose any public health concern".
Most of the cattle, 9,530, that had eaten the ration are still alive on the farms and will not be sent for slaughter until results are available.
There has been no further sampling of the restricted pig herds at this time or in any follow-up actions, the Department of Agriculture has said.
Meanwhile, the investigations into the source of the oil which contaminated the meat continued yesterday on both sides of the Border.
Gardaí have declined to comment on their work, but it is understood that investigators believe they have successfully tracked the path of the oil which caused the contamination from Co Tyrone to a middle-man in Dublin and then to Millstream Recycling in Co Carlow.
There it was used in a burner to heat waste food for humans which was converted for animal use.
The authorities are examining whether the oil, which is thought to have come from electricity transformers, had the necessary authorisation, known as a trans-frontier shipment (TFS), before it was moved. All waste moved across international borders requires TFS authorisation.
Yesterday, a Co Tyrone firm from where the oil is believed to have been sent South said it had complied with regulations. It said its products were manufactured under strict quality control system and were traceable.
Investigators are also checking whether the business in Dublin which is believed to have processed the oil was licensed to do so.
Millstream Recycling has said it only ever purchased oil from "legitimate" suppliers in the Republic. Employees have told members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation that they bought the oil legally and believed it was of a quality required for the processing of the animal feed.
A spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency said it was assisting gardaí in their investigation. She declined to comment further while the investigation was continuing.
Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency in Britain has given the go-ahead for shops, manufacturers and caterers that can trace the origin of any pork directly to a farm that is unaffected by contaminated feed to continue selling their products.
While all certified pork in the Republic now carries a Bord Bia label, the FSA says any pork on British shelves will have been checked, whether it carries a label or not.
The agency says products such as pizza, sandwiches and meat sauces that contain less than 20 per cent Irish pork do not have to be tested or withdrawn from sale.
Testing on products with higher levels of Irish pork will continue.