en Food Safety and Hygiene Food Safety and Hygiene پژوهشي Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Background:</strong> <em>Zataria multiflora</em> boiss is a member of Lamiaceae family with antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate chemical composition and antibacterial effect of <em>Zataria multiflora</em> essential oil against two foodborne pathogens in meat.<br> <strong>Methods: </strong>The inhibitory effect of <em>Zataria multiflora</em> essential oil (Minimum inhibitory concentration and Minimum bactericidal concentration) was evaluated against <em>Salmonella&nbsp; typhimurium</em> and <em>Listeria</em> <em>monocytogenes</em>, inoculated in ground beef meat after 3, 5, 7 and 9 days of storage.<br> <strong>Results:</strong> Result revealed 26 various compounds, representing 96.27% of total oil. Thymol was the most abundant compound among all constituents (29.2%). A significant reduction was observed in <em>Salmonella typhimurium</em> when adding 1 and 2% <em>Zataria multiflora</em> (p<0.05) compared with 0.5% and 1% concentrations during 9 days of storage. <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> significantly decreased in treatments with 0.5%, 1 and 2% of Zataria multiflora essential oil.<br> <strong>Conclusion: </strong><em>Zataria multiflora</em> has an inhibitory effect on the growth of <em>L.</em> <em>monocytogenes</em> and in higher concentrations on the growth of <em>S.</em> <em>typhimurium</em> and can be used as a natural preservative in order to retard the growth of food-borne pathogens.</span></span><br> <br> &nbsp;</div> Zataria multiflora, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Ground Beef Meat 261 269 http://jhehp.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-132-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mojtaba Raeisi 100319475328460010053 100319475328460010053 No Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. Mohammad Hashemi 100319475328460010054 100319475328460010054 No Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Ali Reza Sadeghi 100319475328460010055 100319475328460010055 No Department of Food Science and Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. Majid Aminzare m.aminzare@zums.ac.ir 100319475328460010056 100319475328460010056 No Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. Mahdi Khodadadi 100319475328460010057 100319475328460010057 No Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Amir Mahmoud Ahmadzadeh 100319475328460010058 100319475328460010058 No Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Asma Afshari Asmafshr@gmail.com,Afsharia3@mums.ac.ir 100319475328460010059 100319475328460010059 Yes Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.