Foodborne diseases are public health concern, and Staphylococcus aureus is related to food outbreaks involving meat products. Nisin, a bacteriocin approved by the FDA (Food in the Drug Administration), has requirements to be one of the main substances used in food preservation. The objective of this work was evaluated the effect of the nisin biopreservant on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, mesophilic and psychrotrophic microrganisms in bovine ground beef. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nisin on S. aureus was observed using the microdilution methodology, and two of higher concentrations were used to evaluate an action of nisin on these microorganisms in meat models. The meat was purchased in markets of Campinas and inoculated with the pathogen of interest. Microbiological analyzes of mesophiles, psychrotrophs and S. aureus were performed at times 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, 120, 144, 148 hours. All assays were performed in triplicates, and it was observed, among strains, the following minimum inhibitory concentrations: ATCC 19095 with MIC equal to 0.146 μg nisin/ml BHI, as other cepas, such as 115M, 166N, 193M, 187N and 161M, showed 0.25, 0.0625, 0.542, 0.271, 0.416 μg of nisin/ml of BHI, respectively. The results of the experiment, using nisin as a microbial growth inhibitor in meat, do not present inhibition results in both mesophiles and psychrotrophs and in S. aureus.