The invention provides a method and compositions for controlling food borne enteric bacterial pathogens in animals. Populations of enteropathogenic bacteria may be substantially reduced or eliminated by treatment of animals with an effective amount of 2-nitropropanol, 2-nitroethane or 2-nitroethanol. The compounds may be administered orally, providing a reduction in the populations of the enteropathogenic bacteria in the alimentary tract of the animal, or they may be applied externally onto the animal to reduce the populations of any such bacteria which may be present as contaminants on the surface of the animal. The method and compositions are particularly useful for the control of Salmonella species, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter species, and Listeria monocytogenes.