The performance of a laboratory-scale anaerobic acidogenic fermenter fed with a mixture of blended kitchen food-waste and primary sludge from a sewage treatment plant was investigated for the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The operating variables for acidogenic fermentation were kitchen food-waste content (10 and 25 wt %), hydraulic retention time (HRT: 1, 3 and 5 days), temperature (ambient: 18 2 C, and mesophilic: 35 +/- 2 degrees C) and pH (varied from 5.2 to 6.7). The experimental results indicated that effluent VFA concentrations and VFA production rates were higher at ambient temperature than at mesophilic conditions. The net amount of VFA with 10 wt % food-waste increased up to 920 mg dm(-3) with an increase of HRT, but contrasting results (a decrease of 2610 mg dm-3) were found due to the conversion of VFA into biogas in the case of 25 wt % food-waste, which increased significantly at HRT of 3-5 days. In terms of biogas composition (CO2 and CH4), the organic matter was converted into CO2 through the oxidative pathway by facultative species at low temperature while mesophilic temperature and optimum pH (6.3-7.8) played a pivotal role in increasing rate of conversion of VFA into biogas by methanogenesis. Rates of VFA production and their conversion are dependent on the food-waste content in the mixture. Yet, the higher concentration of food-waste (25% compared with 10%) did not produce VFA proportionally due to the increased rate of conversion of VFA into gaseous products. The maximum VFA production rate (0.318 g VFA(produced) g(-1) VSfed day(-1)) was achieved in the 10 wt % food-waste at ambient temperature and at a 5-day HRT. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.