The antimicrobial activity of carvacrol against Escherichia coli O157 was assessed on cattle hide and beef carcass cuts. Carvacrol (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg/mL) was applied using a spray bottle to cattle hide and beef carcass cuts, inoculated with a cocktail of E. coli O157 (5-6 log(10) CFU/cm(2)) and left in contact for 10 min. Following treatment, hide and carcass cuts were sampled using a swab method, and E. coli O157 were enumerated by plate counts on selective media. Carvacrol (30 mg/mL) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced inoculated E. coli O157 (1.4 and 1.58 log(10) CFU/cm(2)) compared to the no wash and water wash (0 mg/mL) controls on both carcass cuts and hide respectively. This preliminary study shows that carvacrol has the potential to control E. coli O157 on bovine hide and carcass cuts, but further research with larger scale trials is needed.