Male and female weanling rats were fed daily 5 g of a balanced diet supplemented with 1 or 2 g of corn starch, oxidized corn starch, corn starch phosphate, or hydroxyethyl corn starch. Commercially modified corn starches produced the same weight gain as normal corn starch during 21 days of feeding. In contrast to commercial starches, a very highly oxidized laboratory-prepared starch produced a lower weight gain during the same period.