A composition useful for incorporation into polymer compositions employed for food packaging or the like comprising a bis- or tris-methine compound having the structural formula ##STR1## wherein A is selected from the radicals ##STR2## wherein R' and R" are each selected from chlorine, bromine, fluorine, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy and arylthio;each n is independently 0, 1, 2;R.sub.1 is selected from a large variety of radicals such as cycloalkyl, phenyl, and straight or branched alkyl which may be subsituted;R.sub.2 is alkylene or the like;R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 are each selected from hydrogen and alkyl; andP and Q and P.sup.1 and Q.sup.1 are selected from cyano, carbalkoxy, carbaryloxy, carbaralkyloxy, or the like.The invention compositions are especially useful in combination with molding or fiber-grade condensation polymer; most preferably such polymer having compolymerized therein a total of from 1.0 to about 100,000 ppm, of the reactant residue moieties of one or more of such bis- or tris-methine compounds.