The reaction of o ctenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA) with a mixture of granular waxy maize starch and soluble maltodextrin was investigated. USA was reacted with a 1:1 (w/w) mixture of the granular starch and maltodextrin at USA levels of 1.5, 3, 9, and 15% (wt% based on starch weight). After the first 0.5 h of the reaction, degree of substitution (DS) on maltodextrin reached 0.021, 0.030, 0.080, and 0.10 for 1.5,3, 9, and 15% OSA, respectively, whereas DS for granular starch was only 0.0020, 0.0087, 0.014, and 0.016. At 2 h of the reaction, the bound OS ratio of maltodextrin to granular starch was 10.8 when USA concentration was 1.5% and the ratio decreased to ca. 5 at higher USA concentrations. USA preferred to react with maltodextrin than semi-crystalline granular starch when both existed in the system. USA reacted with maltodextrin at a much faster rate and to a greater extent than with granular starch, but a significant amount of USA reacted with granular starch at 3-15% USA concentrations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.