An antimicrobial, anti-bacterial processing aid, food additive and food ingredient is provided to inhibit cellular growth of known pathogenic, indicator and spoilage organisms, such as salmonella, stahphylococcus, listeria, e coli, and the like. The antimicrobial agent of the present invention is useful as a treatment for animal feed, a treatment for pre-harvest and post-harvest processing of foodstuffs, a treatment for cooked food subject to airborne contaminants and many other conditions in need of disinfectants and sanitizers. One of the primary benefits of the antimicrobial agent is that it inhibits the growth of bacteria that have become antibiotic resistant.