Editing Lactic acid (section)

===Chemical production===
Racemic lactic acid is synthesized industrially by reacting [[acetaldehyde]] with [[hydrogen cyanide]] and hydrolysing the resultant [[lactonitrile]]. When [[hydrolysis]] is performed by [[hydrochloric acid]], [[ammonium chloride]] forms as a by-product; the Japanese company Musashino is one of the last big manufacturers of lactic acid by this route.<ref>{{Ullmann|last1=Westhoff|first1=Gerrit|last2=Starr|first2=John N.| title=Lactic Acids|year=2012|doi=10.1002/14356007.a15_097.pub3|isbn=9783527306732}}</ref> Synthesis of both racemic and enantiopure lactic acids is also possible from other starting materials ([[vinyl acetate]], [[glycerol]], etc.) by application of catalytic procedures.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shuklov|first1=Ivan A.|last2=Dubrovina|first2=Natalia V.|last3=Kühlein|first3=Klaus|last4=Börner|first4=Armin | name-list-style = vanc |title=Chemo-Catalyzed Pathways to Lactic Acid and Lactates|journal=Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis|date=2016|volume=358|issue=24|pages=3910–3931|doi=10.1002/adsc.201600768}}</ref>