Composition for preventing deterioration of hides from freshly slaughtered animals

Hides from freshly slaughtered animals are preserved and prevented from deteriorating by treatment with a synergistic mixture of water, acetic or propionic acid, and N, N'-bis(methoxy) methyl uron. Sodium acid sulfate is also used in place of the acetic or propionic acid. A surfactant is usually added to the mixture for wetting or emulsifying purposes. However, it is not an essential element for the synergistic action. The amount of water can be varied greatly, from 10 to 100%, based on the weight of the hide, without affecting the efficacy of the treatment. Excellent results are obtained with a mixture containing 10% water, 0.03% surfactant, 1.0% acid and 0.2% uron derivatives, all amounts based on the weight of the hide.