Lactic acid, according to the National Institutes of Health's MedLinePlus, is formed when carbohydrates are broken down for energy in situations when oxygen is low or not present at all. Lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, are used in the fermentation of various foods and beverages, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Foods that promote lactic acid production include dairy products, cured meats and pickles.
Dairy Products
Lactic acid, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, is the most common acidic component in fermented food products such as buttermilk, sour milk and cheese. In addition, the European Food Information Council states that yogurt is produced through the fermentation reaction between Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, during which each bacterium stimulates the growth of the other.
Cured Meats
Curing, as defined by the National Center for Home Food Preservation, is the addition of a combination of salt, sugar, nitrate and/or nitrite to meats in order to preserve a meat product or produce a certain flavor or color in a meat product. The Meat Science Department at Texas A&M describes curing as a form of lactic acid fermentation that, when performed with sugar, produces a characteristic tangy flavor in deli meats such as sausage.
Pickles, Baked Goods and Beverages
According to the European Food Information Council, lactic acid is also promoted in the pickling process, a form of curing of vegetables such as in the production of sauerkraut. The interaction of yeast with lactic acid bacterium also promotes lactic acid production in the creation of certain baked goods such as sourdough bread. In addition, lactic acid is promoted in fermented beverages such as kefir, a milk beverage, as well as in wine and beer, the latter of which are both produced through alcoholic fermentation.
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