In this study, two acid-hydrolysis processes, process A and process B, were proposed to produce low-cost nutrients for the production of lactic acid. Process A was a direct way to hydrolyze protein with diluted acid while process B was process A plus fish wastes pretreatment (an extraction by water). The two methods could both treat fish wastes to be suitable nutrient sources for promoting lactic acid production. As the pretreatment indicated some favorable effect on fish waste hydrolyzate (FWH), process B increased lactic acid productivity by 22%. Compared with 20 g/L yeast extract (YE), 6.8% FWH hydrolyzed by process B had more efficiency in lactic acid production, indicating that process B was suitable to produce high performance nutrients for lactic acid production and FWH hydrolyzed by process B would be an substitute for YE. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.