The present invention relates to plant cells and plants, which are genetically modified, wherein the genetic modification leads to the expression in plastids of such plant cells and plants of an enzyme having the activity of a mutansucrase. Furthermore, the present invention relates to means and methods for the manufacture of such plant cells and plants. Plant cells and plants of this type synthesise a modified starch. The present invention therefore also relates to the starch synthesised by the plant cells and plants according to the invention as well as to methods for the manufacture of the starch and to the manufacture of starch derivatives of this modified starch.