INTRODUCTION Poultry meat is by far the most accepted food product worldwide. Microbiological safety and meat quality are equally important to producers, retailers and consumers and both result in microbial contaminants on the processed product. Two very different groups of microorganisms are relevant: on the one hand some food-borne pathogens, and on the other organisms which are generally harmless to human health, but which, being psychotropic, are capable of multiplying on the product during storage in refrigerator. Deterioration phenomena mainly occur. by the development of unpleasant odors and the shelf life of the product is determined both by the number of spoilage organisms present initially and by the temperature trend of the product in all phases of production and subsequent storage and handling (Pooni and Mead, 1984). Poultry meat with foodborne pathogens remains an important public health problem, because it can point the way to disease if there are incorrect practices in the handling, cooking or post-cooking storage of the product. In developed countries, foodborne illnesses cause human suffering and lost productivity, and significantly increase the costs of food production and healthcare. It is also a possible cause of mortality, which is an even greater problem in developing regions, where the health status of many individuals is already compromised. The problem is exacerbated by modern intensive farming conditions, where large numbers of birds are kept together, and high-speed processing, where carcasses remain in close proximity throughout the operation. These conditions favor the spread of any pathogens that could access the flock. Furthermore, the use of antimicrobials in poultry production, whether for prophylactic, therapeutic or performance purposes during food processing, includes heat, salt, an activated lactoperoxidase system and surface active agents (Leyer and Johnson, 1993). In the present investigation, enumerate the bacterial population on chicken meat collected at different locations and control E. coli and S. aureus by acetic acid, lactic acid and citric acid. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVEThe objective of the study can be summarized as follows.1. Isolation and identification of E. coli and S. aureus from poultry meat in different slaughterhouses of Namakkal district2. Evaluation of chemical food preservatives for their antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus3. Study on the minimum inhibitory concentration of acetic acid on E. coli and S. aureus4. To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of organic acid treatment in reducing E. coli and S. aureus on chicken meat surfaces.