Antimicrobial compositions comprising food approved antimicrobials and zinc pyrithione

(canceled)

A method of controlling microbial growth on leather, natural or synthetic textile, fibers, non-wovens, technical textile, plasticized materials, non-plasticized thermoplastics, paper, wall paper, insulation material, laminates, amino moulding compounds, paints, coatings, fabrics, floor coverings, synthetic fibres, hessian, rope and cordage, which comprises applying to said materials an antimicrobially effective amount of a combination of zinc pyrithione as a component (I) and as a component (II) a food-approved antimicrobial selected from sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, calcium sulfite, calcium hydrogen sulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and lysozyme;

• wherein the ratio by weight of component (I) to component (II) ranges from 4:1 to 1:4 to provide a synergistic antimicrobial effect.

A method of controlling microbial growth on wood or wood products, which comprises applying to said wood or wood products an antimicrobially effective amount of a combination of zinc pyrithione as a component (I) and as a component (II) a food-approved antimicrobial selected from sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, calcium sulfite, calcium hydrogen sulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and lysozyme;

• wherein the ratio by weight of component (I) to component (II) ranges from 4:1 to 1:4 to provide a synergistic antimicrobial effect.

A method of controlling microbial growth on engineering materials, which comprises applying to said engineering materials an antimicrobially effective amount of a combination of zinc pyrithione as a component (I) and as a component (II) a food-approved antimicrobial selected from sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, calcium sulfite, calcium hydrogen sulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and lysozyme;

• wherein the ratio by weight of component (I) to component (II) ranges from 4:1 to 1:4 to provide a synergistic antimicrobial effect.

A method of controlling microbial growth on plants, parts of plants, fruit and seeds, which comprises applying to said plants, parts of plants, fruit and seeds an antimicrobially effective amount of a combination of zinc pyrithione as a component (I) and as a component (II) a food-approved antimicrobial selected from sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, calcium sulfite, calcium hydrogen sulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and lysozyme;

• wherein the ratio by weight of component (I) to component (II) ranges from 4:1 to 1:4 to provide a synergistic antimicrobial effect.

A method of controlling the growth of microorganisms on food that is packaged with food packaging materials which method comprises coating or incorporating in said food packaging materials a combination of zinc pyrithione as a component (I) and as a component (II) a food-approved antimicrobial selected from sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate, potassium metabisulfite, potassium sulfite, calcium sulfite, calcium hydrogen sulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and lysozyme, wherein the ratio by weight of component (I) to component (II) ranges from 4:1 to 1:4 to provide a synergistic antimicrobial effect.