Mantinga-Starfrost partnership helps expand production capacity
A partnership between a Lithuanian bakery and Starfrost to design and install a high performance spiral freezer system is helping the specialist in frozen bakery and convenience foods continue to expand its operations and solidify its position as a key player in the global market.
With an impressive annual export of over 1 billion products to more than 40 countries, Mantinga has consistently invested in its growth, recently funding £18 million into state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge processing lines, including automated freezing systems.
In 2015, Mantinga first partnered with Starfrost to revolutionise its freezing process by installing a spiral freezer system. This move automated the bakery’s manual freezing method, replacing the labour-intensive IQF blast freezers. The success of this initial collaboration led Mantinga to designate Starfrost as its preferred supplier for cooling equipment solutions. Subsequent equipment installations further supported the bakery’s growth, with Starfrost’s expertise being instrumental in each project.
Starfrost’s most recent collaboration with Mantinga involved the design, manufacture and installation of an additional helix spiral freezer for the bakery. This cutting-edge freezing system is now the fourth Starfrost freezer incorporated into Mantinga’s operations, boasting the capability of freezing over 1.5 tonnes of laminated dough products per hour.
Kestutis Kosuba, project manager at Mantinga praised the latest spiral freezer from Starfrost for operateing seamlessly with minimal maintenance requirements.
“The system incorporates measures to eliminate drafts through the product feed and outfeed openings, resulting in the need for defrosting only once a week. The defrosting, washing, and drying cycle takes a mere five to six hours,” Kosuba added. “Together with our other Starfrost freezers, we have a fully automated freezing operation, which is exceptionally reliable and energy-efficient.”
Kosuba continued: “As our designated freezing equipment supplier, we have always been impressed by Starfrost’s flexibility and commitment to understanding our specific requirements, particularly during the design phase. From design to equipment installation, warranty, and post-warranty service, every aspect is always handled with great care and attention to detail.”
The integration of the latest spiral freezer from Starfrost has allowed Mantinga to expand its bakery operations and further increase its production capacity. As part of the successful collaboration, the four Helix spiral freezers have streamlined freezing processes, facilitated the introduction of new production lines, reduced energy costs, and optimised production space for Mantinga.
