An anaerobic digester of 10 L capacity has been operated in batch mode at an optimum temperature of 40 degrees C and at a pH of 6.8 using vegetable/food residues as the feed material. The effect of slurry concentration and that of the concentration of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the slurry on the biogas production rate and methane concentration in the biogas have been studied. The slurry concentration has been varied in the range of 72.0-700kg m(-3). At a slurry concentration of 67.7 kg m(-3) the effect of carbohydrate concentration has been studied by varying the ratios of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the range of 6.9:4.3:1-12.1:4.3:1 by using a sole carbohydrate source, namely sucrose. The effect of protein concentration has been studied by varying the ratios of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the range of 5.6:7.0:1-5.6:13.0:1 by using a sole protein source, namely papain and that of fat concentration has been studied by varying the ratios of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the range of 7.2:10:1.6-7.2:10:5 by using a fat source, namely vanaspati. A deterministic mathematical model using differential system equations have been developed and it is capable of predicting the behaviour of the digester satisfactorily. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.