Highly effective bio-process for lactic acid (LA) production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of chicory flour was developed. The strain used, Lactobacillus paracasei DSM 23505 produced natural inulinase (EC 3.2.1.80) with molecular weight similar to 130 kDa, located in the cell wall fraction. In batch fermentation with optimized medium content and fermentation conditions, a complete conversion of 136 g/L chicory flour (89.3% inulin and 10.7% mix of sucrose, fructose and glucose) into 123.7 g/L LA was achieved. These yield and conversion rate are the highest obtained by SSF for LA production from inulin. The high efficiency, the cheap fermentation broth and the simple process performance disclose the promising use of the chicory flour in industrial biotechnology for LA production. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.