Food Manufacturers Look for Ways to Save Water During Drought

As California's drought persists, local food manufacturers are feeling the pressure to cut water use in their factories without changing the taste and quality of the products they sell.

The food processing and manufacturing sector produces everything from salsa, to baked goods, to bottled beverages. It's a water-intensive industry, since factories need countless gallons for sanitation and their production process.

At La Amapola, Inc., the Santa Fe Springs-based business makes masa and tortillas. The process of making the masa starts with filling tanks with 400 pounds of dried corn kernels and 500 pounds of water.

"We have our own way of doing it which makes our product taste a certain way," says Vice President and CFO Carlos Galvan, Jr. "We can’t compromise on that. It would destroy our business."

The family business has been making masa and tortillas in the LA area since 1961, when Galvan's father and grandfather opened up a South Los Angeles storefront. Galvan has paid close attention to the news of California’s drought and his water bills. But he knows he can’t remove any water from his family's recipe for masa.

Read the full story via KPCC