Starfield

Starfield is the leading plant-based meat start-up in China. Since its establishment in 2019, Starfield has collaborated with nearly 100 F&B partners, including Tim Hortons, Dicos, Family Mart etc.. Over 1 million plant-based protein meals have been served via Starfield's partners' channels. The flavor of Starfield's plant-based meat comes from research in Molecular Sensory Sciences. We all know that raw beef or pork does not have an appealing meaty flavor nor aromas. Cooking is the process that turns a flavorless chunk of protein into a delicious treat. This is because amino acid compounds and sugars react while being heated, and meaty flavor and aromas are released. This process is called the "Maillard reaction." Starfield analyzes the Maillard reaction via modern sensory sciences and has identified a few molecules that contribute the most to the overall flavor of certain meat. Then, the company seeks corresponding aroma molecules from plant sources, and add them to the plant-based proteins. In essence, they've constructed a plant-based molecular-level Maillard Reaction model, so that they release a similar meaty flavor while being heated.