Growing demand for biodegradable polymer substitutes for both conventional plastic materials and new materials of specific uses such as controlled drug delivery or artificial prostheses draws attention to the need for improvement of conventional processes for lactic acid production. Reactive extraction with a specified extractant giving a higher distribution coefficient has been proposed as a promising technique for the recovery of lactic acid. A critical analysis of the available literature data has been made, and some general conclusions have been drawn. A suitable extractant-diluent system for lactic acid extraction on the basis of distribution coefficient, toxicity, and feasibility for backextraction is suggested. Also, methods for backextraction and recovery are suggested.