A six-wavelength spectrophotometric measurement of amylose- and amylopectin-iodine complexes has been improved and adapted for the lipid-rich maize kernel. Use of a spreadsheet program allowed graphical and mathematical resolution of a six-wavelength multi-component analysis. Lipid removal by aqueous acetone was found to minimise interference in the amylose determination. Solubilisation of maize starch in 4mNaOH at ambient temperature was found to be rapid and efficient, without affecting the stability of amylose or amylopectin. The method was accurate, simple and applicable to routine analysis of the genotypic variability of starch composition in normal and mutant maize grains.