Salmonella is one of the major causes of food borne illnesses in humans. According to the Commission’s report on zoonoses (EFSA, 2005) Salmonellosis represent the second most frequent zoonosis with 176,395 reported human cases Amongst foodstuffs, Salmonella was most often reported from fresh poultry and pig meat where proportions of positive samples up to 18% were detected. In table eggs, findings of positive samples ranged from 0% to 6%, but over the past 5 years an overall decreasing trend in occurrence of Salmonella in eggs was observed. In animal populations, Salmonella was most frequently detected in poultry flocks. In general poultry farms and food related are an important source of human Salmonella infections. Therefore recent European Community legislation foresaw Salmonella reduction for animal population including breeding, laying hens, broiler and turkey flocks. This paper will evaluate the foodborne salmonella prevalence in human in relation to the main foods contaminated by this pathogen. In accordance with the Community legislation on zoonoses aiming at reducing the incidence of food-borne diseases in the European Union (Regulation (EC) No 2160/2003), a European Union-wide baseline survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of Salmonella in breeding flocks of Gallus gallus, laying hens and broilers. The results, recently published by EFSA will be presented in relation to different countries and different type of farms. Moreover national control programmes submitted to the European Commission for its approval, in order to reduce the salmonella dissemination in animal population, will be presented. Measures to reduce Salmonella prevalence in live animals is believed to be one of the most effective ways of reducing the contamination of foodstuffs and the number of human salmonellosis cases. For this reason the direct and indirect prophylaxis measures that can be adopted in poultry farms will be discussed as well as the research studies more promising in order to decrease or eliminate the salmonella contamination in eggs and poultry meat.