Patent ID: 6475759
Filing Date: 2002-11-05
Classification: C12N,C12P,C12R

Abstract:
A process for producing lactic acid comprising:(a) incubating an acid-tolerant homolactic bacterial strain in nutrient medium at an incubation pH sufficient to allow production of lactic acid by the acid-tolerant homolactic bacterial stra in the nutrient medium, wherein the final incubation pH is pH 4.0 or less, and the step of incubating is provided at a temperature of at least about 30Â° C. to produce: (i) a solution including at least about 25 g/L free L-lactic acid or at least about 25 g/L free D-lactic acid; (ii) free lactic acid at an overall rate of at least about 1.0 g/L/hr; and (iii) the solution including at least about 25 g/L free L-lactic acid or at least about 25 g/L free D-lactic acid, wherein the free L-lactic acid is provided at an optical purity of at least about 50% or the free D-lactic acid is provided at an optical purity of at least about 50%; and (b) recovering free lactic acid.