A bacterial composition and method that inhibits E. coli O157:H7 growth by as much as 93% and Salmonella growth by as much as 97%, together with commensurate inhibition rates against the Big-Six Escherichia coli strains referred to as the non-O157 STECs that include E. coli O121:H19； E. coli O45:H2； E. coli O103:H11； E. coli O145, E. coli O26:H11； and E. coli O111. The composition is constituted of various combinations of the following unique pathogen-inhibiting bacteria: (1) Lactobacillus animalis； (2) Enterococcus faecium (3) Pediococcus acidilactici.
