Specific strains from the above studies were proposed to be suitable starter cultures for the controlled production of Soumbala. The Bacillus group of microorganisms is typically found in soils, and members secrete a wide range of degradative enzymes, including amylases and proteases, which may be important in the fermentation process. Almeida et al. (2007) have shown that Bacillus licheniformis has strong protease activity. In our studies, the majority of Bacillus species showed amylolytic activity