In order to improve the anaerobic digestion process of salty cheese whey, the effects of various doses of surfactants : Tween 80, Triton-X-100, Tegopren 3022, sodium lauryl sulphate and Cetrimide, have been studied in an upflow fixed film bioreactor. Among these, sodium lauryl sulphate showed a 70% increase in gas production with a higher methane content (77%) and improved biodegradation.