Pesticides, Insects in Foods, and Cosmetic Standards

world population rapidly grows from 4 billion to a projected 7 billion within 25 years (FAO 1974, NAS 1971). Understandably, concern exists about what can be done to reduce food losses and increase food supplies. Cramer (1967) estimated that world crop losses to pests (primarily insects, pathogens, and weeds) were about 35%; today estimates of losses range between 33 and 35%. World postharvest losses are estimated to range from 10 to 20% (Pimentel et al. 1975); in the United States the estimate is 9% (USDA 1965). The major pests of harvested foods are fungi, bacteria, insects, and rodents. When preharvest losses are combined with postharvest losses, total world food losses due to pests are estimated to range from 40 to 48% (preharvest, 35%; postharvest, 20% of the harvested crop or an additional 13% loss). In the United States total loss to pests is estimated at 39% (33% preharvest plus 9% postharvest [6% of the crop]). Thus, on a world basis, pest populations are consuming and/or destroying a large portion of the world's food supply. In an effort to reduce pest losses in the United States, an estimated 1.1