J. David Legan, PhD
Director of Science
David earned his Ph.D. in Food Technology from the University of Reading in the UK by modeling the ecology of mixed microbial populations, and then moved to Campden BRI in a variety of microbiological food safety research and client service roles. During that time, he was project lead for the Bacillus component of the UK’s pathogen modeling program. He moved again to Nabisco Research in New Jersey where he ran the corporate microbiology lab and developed a program of preservation technology development and microbial modeling. After the Kraft Foods acquisition, he moved to Chicago to work on Food Safety and Preservation research, and through modeling and validation studies:
- Optimized Oscar Mayer’s use of lactate and diacetate and their naturally cultured alternatives as Listeria-control agents in Ready to Eat meats
- Specified process conditions central to Oscar Mayer’s commercial launch of High Pressure Pasteurization of naturally cured RTE meats
David had responsibility for the Kraft cultures R&D group, developed a partnership to explore microwave sterilization leading to several patents, and led a program that developed an internal proprietary natural antimicrobial commercialized in several Kraft products. Technologies from his group supported approximately $4 billion in annual sales.
After years as a microbiology "client", he is now back in the "provider" role as Director of Science at Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc., by way of the Covance Food Solutions group based in Madison, WI, which he joined in 2016. In this role, he ensures appropriate method validation, explores new testing technologies, and fields multiple complicated food microbiology questions.
Products that his team has evaluated or developed and launched include:
- The 3M MDS platform in the Madison microbiology laboratory
- Flow cytometry for enumeration of probiotics
- Strain-level confirmation of probiotic identification using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- Next-generation sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies GridION sequencing platform for microbial identification and microbiome analysis
Below are resources from David:
Watch this on-demand webinar to gain an understanding of the requirements of CA Bill AB 899, learn how to navigate testing, and hear some answers to commonly asked questions. Original airdate May 30, 2024.
Stay informed on FDA recommendations for florfenicol use in aquaculture medicated feed. Explore our blog for the latest updates.
In this on-demand webinar we'll provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to navigate Amazon's Dietary Supplements Policy. Original airdate April 24, 2024.
Eurofins offers rapid pesticide testing, tailored to the produce industry, with custom service to the west coast growing regions.
How does Prop 65 relate to dietary supplements? How do I test for heavy metals in dietary supplements to ensure compliance with Prop 65? Is Prop 65 specific to California? Get the answers to these questions and more!
PFAS limits and allowances in food contact materials, food products, and the environment are increasing. The FDA banned some PFAS compounds and has strict regulations on others. This flyer provides an overview of PFAS regulationsand how Eurofins can support your PFAS monitoring programs.
In this webinar Jamie Willems, Ph.D. and Lily Zehfus, M.Sc. discuss common causes of off-odor, off-flavor, and flavor scalping issues as well as GC-MS techniques for troubleshooting. Original airdate September 12, 2023.
Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories (CAL) offers unrivaled expertise and an ISO 17025:2017 accreditation for all aspects of tea testing, including dried and fresh tea analysis, brewed service testing, and pesticide analysis. This flyer provides an overview of ECAL's tea offerings and the benefits of testing with Eurofins.
To support compliance with state regulations, Eurofins SF Analytical now offers a validated GC-MSMS method for the analysis of 1,4-dioxane with a reporting limit of 1 ppm. The method has been validated for use in solids, surfactant-containing solids, liquids, surfactant-containing liquids, solvent-based liquids, and oil-based liquids.
Join Eurofins Senior Staff Scientist, Lukas Vaclavik, for a discussion about per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the food industry. Original airdate July 19, 2023.
