In an effort to develop biopolymer-based antioxidant and antibacterial materials, a chitosan-phloroglucinol conjugate was prepared and cellular antioxidant activity and minimum inhibitory concentration against foodborne pathogens and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) evaluated. The chitosan-phloroglucinol conjugate showed higher antioxidant activities than the unmodified chitosan (P < 0.05). The chitosan-phloroglucinol conjugate showed 62.29% reactive oxygen species scavenging activity, 56.11% lipid peroxidation inhibition activity, and 2.21-fold increase of glutathione expression in mouse macrophage cells. Additionally, the chitosan-phloroglucinol conjugate exhibited higher antibacterial activities than the unmodified chitosan, and the chitosan-phloroglucinol conjugate showed fourfold higher antibacterial activities against MRSA and clinical isolates and twofold higher activities against foodborne pathogens compared to the unmodified chitosan.