My manure comes out of a bag, and is called something like "manure-compost mix". But the smell tells me it ain't fresh - aged and/or partly composted by the time I buy it.
I knew one guy that dumped fresh horse plops all over his herb garden - admittedly, "it didn't kill this one guy I knew" is not exactly precise science.
Probably the majority of modern gardeners (and the FDA) agree with the more cautious approach,
Gardening handbooks from 50 + years ago and back to the Victorian era, and many websites today talk about "Hot beds" as opposed to "cold frames". They started with a well-drained pit, laid down a thick layer of fairly fresh manure with some straw, and then covered it with 4-6" of soil. Built a glass frame on top (or, today, maybe two layers of plastic film). They planted in the soil, and the manure gave off heat as it decomposed.
Admittedly, there was a layer of soil between the manure and the surface, but I would expect roots to burrow down 4-6" very quickly.
Admittedly, standards of hygiene were much lower in the Victorian era, and the 1940s were less paranoid about low-level risks than we are today.
Admittedly, the contemporary Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) demands that very strict procedures be followed for manure and dead animal parts (Google FSMA compost).
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/f...
"The proposed produce safety rule as part of the Food safety Modernization Act proposes that all compost with animal derived materials (e.g., manure, mortalities, table scraps, etc.) must be either statically composted to at least 131 degrees Fahrenheit for three days then cured and insulated, or aerobically composted to at least 131 F for 15 days and turned at least five times, then cured and insulated. This is reasonably consistent with current food safety recommendations from the National GAPs Program of having a pile reach between 130 F and 160 F for five to 15 days.
The produce rule requires that properly composted material with animal derived materials be given a preharvest interval of 45 days after application when it is applied in a way that minimizes crop contact. If the compost with animal derived materials is not properly made, the rule states that it must be treated like raw manure. The preharvest application window for raw manure under the proposed produce rule is nine months prior to harvest."
