Twenty years after the Jack-in-the-Box outbreak raised the risks of E. coli O157:H7 and undercooked beef to the national stage, and the best state-sponsored jazz can do is ask, “is steak tartare next?”

According to National Public Radio (NPR), despite the current outbreak of Salmonella linked to kibbeh, “raw meat seem to be making a bit of a comeback in the food world, thanks to renewed interest in raw food in general and the raw meat aficionados building off the paleo diet trend, so could steak tartare be next? …

“While many cultures keep traditions involving raw meat, it also seems to be moving more into the mainstream. Is it the manly appeal?

“According to this article from the blog Honest Cooking, steak tartare is ‘raw food for the masculine eater.’ And there is the perception that it’s safer and even healthier to eat meat that’s underdone.”

NPR is relying on food porn rather than food safety.

I don’t care what adults choose to indulge in, but if you’re driving your kids to school and torturing them by listening to NPR, please, keep your poor understanding of microbiology away from your kids.