FDA Risk Assessment Puts Raw Manure and Produce Safety in Focus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a risk assessment examining how untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin, including raw manure, can affect the safety of fresh produce. Published on March 12, 2026, the assessment looks at how pathogens can move from growing fields through processing, transport, storage and consumption.

The update is relevant to anyone who buys or prepares fruits and vegetables, but it is important to understand what it does—and does not—say. The FDA did not announce a recall or identify a contaminated product in this assessment. Instead, the work is intended to inform future policy on how untreated amendments are managed before produce is harvested.

What the FDA assessment found

The FDA evaluated the potential risk of illness from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, including O157:H7 and non-O157 strains, as well as Salmonella. Its model covered two stages. The first examined conditions before harvest, including the time between applying an untreated amendment and picking the crop. The second followed potentially contaminated produce through processing, distribution, storage and eventual consumption.

The central finding is straightforward: extending the interval between applying untreated biological soil amendments and harvesting significantly reduces the potential level of human pathogens on produce at harvest. The size of that reduction varied according to the pathogen, the type of amendment, regional environmental conditions and the starting level of contamination.

That conclusion concerns agricultural controls rather than a new household waiting-period rule. It also does not mean that all produce is unsafe. The practical lesson is that safety depends on multiple layers of prevention, from farm practices to the way food is handled in the kitchen.

Start with safer shopping

The FDA’s consumer guidance recommends choosing produce that is not bruised or damaged whenever possible. Cuts and damaged areas can give bacteria more opportunity to enter or spread. For pre-cut, bagged or packaged produce, choose items that are refrigerated or kept on ice, and continue to refrigerate them after bringing them home.

Keep fresh produce separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood in the shopping cart and in grocery bags. This simple step reduces the chance that juices from raw animal products will reach foods that may be eaten without further cooking.

Wash produce without creating new risks

When you are ready to prepare fresh produce, wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling it. Rinse fruits and vegetables before peeling or cutting them, because a knife can transfer dirt or bacteria from the outside to the edible portion.

Hold produce under plain running water and gently rub the surface. The FDA says there is no need to use soap, detergent or a commercial produce wash. Soap is not designed to be eaten and can leave residues. For firm produce such as melons and cucumbers, use a clean produce brush. After rinsing, dry the food with a clean cloth or paper towel to help reduce bacteria that may remain on the surface.

Washing is a useful control, but it is not a substitute for clean equipment, safe storage or thorough cooking when a recipe allows it. Keep washed produce away from unclean sinks, counters and utensils, particularly those that have touched raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs.

Separate ready-to-eat food from raw ingredients

Use one cutting board for fresh produce and another for raw meat, poultry or seafood if possible. If you have only one board, wash it with hot, soapy water before preparing food that will be eaten raw. The same rule applies to knives, plates, countertops and other utensils.

Store perishable produce, including cut fruit, leafy greens, herbs and mushrooms, in a clean refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Pre-cut or packaged produce should remain refrigerated. If produce is included in a cooked dish, cook it thoroughly according to the recipe and serve it with clean utensils.

The practical takeaway

The FDA’s new assessment adds detail to an important point: produce safety begins long before food reaches the kitchen. More time between an untreated soil amendment and harvest can lower the potential pathogen level, but the result depends on several environmental and agricultural factors.

For home cooks, the response is practical rather than dramatic: choose sound produce, keep pre-cut items cold, wash hands and produce correctly, avoid soap, separate produce from raw animal products, clean equipment between tasks and refrigerate perishables promptly. Those habits cannot eliminate every risk, but they provide the everyday controls that help turn fresh food into a safer meal.