Cornstarch, waxy cornstarch, potato starch and amylopectin were roasted for 1 hour at 300°C with 10% (w/w) admixture of one of NaCl, NaNO3, KCl, KNO3, MgCl2, and Mg(NO3)2. Addition of these salts affects, to a different extent, the number of free radicals thermally generated from polysaccharides. Free radicals are either O- or C-type. Regardless the mode of application of salts on polysaccharides and salt free radical count is usually negligible. Thus, if such salts are the sole ingredients to starch their presence produces no harm in terms of the formation of free radicals at temperatures usually applied in food process