| Summary: | The bacterial contamination of meat is a global concern, especially for the risk of <i>Salmonella</i> infection that can lead to health issues. Artificial antibacterial compounds used to preserve fresh meat can have negative health effects. We investigated the potential of natural essential oils (EOs), namely <i>Mentha arvensis</i> (mint) and <i>Cinnamomum cassia</i> (cinnamon) EOs, to prevent contamination of the food pathogen, <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> serotype Typhimurium, in vitro and on chicken skin. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was used to determine the compositions of mint EO (MEO) and cinnamon EO (CEO); the most abundant compound in MEO was menthol (68.61%), and the most abundant compound was cinnamaldehyde (83.32%) in CEO. The antibacterial activity of MEO and CEO were examined in vapor and direct contact with <i>S. typhimurium</i> at temperatures of 4 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C. The minimal inhibitory concentration at 37 °C for MEO and CEO reached 20.83 µL/mL, and the minimal bactericidal concentration of CEO was the same, while for MEO, it was two-fold higher. We report that in most tested conditions in experiments performed in vitro and on chicken skin, CEO exhibits a stronger antibacterial effect than MEO. In the vapor phase, MEO was more effective against <i>S. typhimurium</i> than CEO at 4 °C. In direct contact, the growth of <i>S. typhimurium</i> was inhibited more efficiently by MEO than CEO at small concentrations and a longer exposure time at 37 °C. The exploration of CEO and MEO employment for the inhibition of <i>Salmonella</i> bacteria at different temperatures and conditions expands the possibilities of developing more environment- and consumer-friendly antibacterial protection for raw meat.
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