The impact of increasing organic load on anaerobic digestion foaming was studied at both full and bench scale. Organic loadings of 1.25, 2.5 and 5 kg VS m(-3) were applied to bench-scale digesters. Foaming was monitored at a full scale digester operated in a comparable organic loading range over 15 months. The bench scale batch studies identified 2.5 kg VS m(-3) as a critical threshold for foam initiation while 5 kg VS m(-3) resulted in persistent foaming. Investigation of a full scale foaming event corroborated the laboratory observation that foaming may be initiated at a loading rate of 2.5 kg VS m(-3). Experimental findings on foam composition and differences in the quality characteristics between foaming and non-foaming sludges indicated that foam initiation derived from the combined effect of the liquid and gas phases inside a digester and that the solids/biomass ultimately stabilized foaming. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.