Those who think that the much maligned former head man at Peanut Corporation of America is a victim because of the bad press he’s gotten lately need a dose of reality. The obvious victims are those who were sickened, or died as a result of their illnesses. But the effects, economic and otherwise, of such a massive outbreak are not limited to illnesses and deaths. Salmonella, hepatitis A, E. coli O157:H7, norovirus, etc., not only wreak havoc on the human body, they cause insidious damage to the lives of ordinary people fortunate enough to have not consumed a contaminated product, but unlucky enough to be within a recalled product’s, or maligned person’s, sphere of influence. See this article for a case in point. For an even better illustration, see Bill Marler’s (if you’re reading this, you probably already have) recent blog-post on the subject.