In this study, PCR-DGGE was used to analyze the microbial community structure in lactic acid fermentation from kitchen waste. The results showed that with Lactobacillus amylophilus inoculation, both the microbial diversity and lactic acid production in the open fermentation system were higher than those in the sterilized fermentation system. These results indicated that the microbial diversity and the lactic acid production have great correlation in the kitchen waste fermentation system. Through analyzing the sequence of some DNA bands excised from the DGGE gel, it showed that in addition to the inoculation of Lactobacillus amylophilus there were some indigenous lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus sp., Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum and indigenous hydrolytic bacteria, such as Pseudomonas sp.. These indigenous bacteria can help to promote lactic acid production. PCR-DGGE is feasible for analyzing the dynamic changes of microbial community structure in kitchen waste with complicated composition.