Sustained release microbiological control composition

A solid antimicrobial composition consisting essentially of:

• (a) about 1 to about 90 percent by weight of a halogenated amide antimicrobial compound of the formula ##STR4## wherein X is hydrogen, halogen of a cyano radical;
• each R group is independently hydrogen, a monovalent saturated hydrocarbon radical or an inertly substituted monovalent saturated hydrocarbon radical or the two R groups are, jointly, a divalent saturated hydrocarbon radical, or an inertly substituted divalent saturated hydrocarbon radical, which, taken with the adjacent nitrogen atom, forms a heterocyclic ring having from 4 to about 10 ring members;
• and
• R.sup.1 is a cyano radical or an amido radical having the formula:
• ##STR5## wherein R.sup.2 has the same meaning as R;
• (b) about 10 to about 80 percent by weight of a suitable hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consisting of a natural water soluble cellulosic polymer, a synthetic water soluble cellulosic polymer, gelatin, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, carrageenan, carboxymethyl guar, hydroxypropyl guar and carboxymethyl galactomannose;
• (c) about 0 to about 80 percent by weight of a compression agent;
• and
• (d) about 0 to about 10 percent by weight of a mold release agent.