Lactic acid is a product of anaerobic glycolysis performed by homo- and heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria. Attempts to use moulds of the Rhizopus genus in the production of lactic acid proved that this process was not cost-effective. The moulds of the Rhizopus genus have much lower nutritional requirements than lactic acid bacteria. Additionally, they use inexpensive polymers as a carbon source, such as: starch, hemicellulose, and cellulose; and the fermentation product is a desirable L(+) lactic acid. The paper presents a biochemical profile of the production of organic acids, including lactic acid, from glucose and xylose with the participation of Rhizopus oryzae strains, and the factors to determine the efficiency of the process are incorporated therein. The reference literature confirms that strains of the Rhizopus genus increase, in large measure, the production of lactic acid under optimal culture conditions, such as type and concentration of the substrate, appropriate temperature, as well as pH and oxygenation of the culture medium. The morphological form and immobilization of Rhizopus mycelium significantly add to the productivity and yield of lactic acid.