One of the most popular sweet pastries – doughnuts – can be found on almost every store shelf. Although these readily available treats may seem simple to make at first glance, the secret lies in the details. The doughnut production line at Mantinga, the largest bread, snack, and frozen food manufacturer in the Baltics, is the only one of its kind in the region, producing over 130,000 doughnuts daily.

Sustainability Matters in Production

The doughnut production line at Mantinga stands out for several unique features.

“The greatest uniqueness of this production line is the doughnut shaping process. The doughnut is formed from a round piece of dough by cutting out the center. This method creates a ring-shaped product with a smaller surface area for oil absorption, resulting in a doughnut that is less greasy than the traditional version. Additionally, the production line features an integrated oil filtration system, with automatic oil dosing. The frying equipment elements do not come into direct contact with the heated oil, making the machinery easier to clean and reducing energy consumption during production,” says Mantinga's Head of the Technology Department, Darius Anelauskas.

The doughnut production technology, used for several years now, has significantly improved waste management compared to previous methods. In the past, dough scraps accounted for up to 50% of production waste. Today, this figure has been reduced to just 15-18%, as the scraps are returned to the dough preparation stage, ensuring full utilization of ingredients without waste,” Anelauskas highlights.

Impressive Glazing and Filling Possibilities

Another advantage of the modern doughnut production line is its extensive glazing capabilities. The line features six large glazing tanks, each holding 1,000 kg of glaze, and two smaller tanks of 500 kg each, used for mixing colorful glazes.

“Doughnuts can be glazed with multiple glazes simultaneously, creating a marbled pattern. They can be decorated both automatically and manually using a variety of toppings, including sugar sprinkles, chocolate pieces, powdered sugar, marshmallows, popcorn, freeze-dried berries, and crunchy cookies. Additionally, we are the only company on the market capable of producing sour-flavored doughnuts on an industrial scale,” notes Anelauskas.

Currently, Mantinga offers nearly 50 types of doughnuts, introducing around 15–20 new varieties annually. The company’s primary focus for innovation is experimenting with glazes and fillings to surprise and delight doughnut lovers.