Abstract: A plastic material having an antimicrobial characteristic and the method for making the plastic material is provided. The method includes blending and/or extruding a polymeric composition in a process which includes a temperature of at least about 170° C. The method also includes adding an antimicrobial component to the polymeric composition prior to or during the blending and/or extruding. The antimicrobial component includes a salt of a dehydroacetic acid (DHA) in an amount sufficient to provide the resulting plastic material with an effective antimicrobial characteristic. The antimicrobial component including a salt of DHA is stable at temperatures required for processing polymeric compositions.