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:
Are you struggling with positive environmental pathogen tests? This may indicate that your facility is suffering from microbial harborage sites. A harborage site is a growth niche in which bacteria or other microorganisms can reside and grow for months and possibly years.
Whether you're looking to monitor your workplace environment for coronavirus as a precautionary measure or as part of your sanitation verification due to known exposure to COVID-19, this Eurofins white paper will provide you the foundation and best practices you need to implement a thoughtful viral monitoring program and insights to crucial remediation strategies. Connect with our coronavirus response team today!
Equip yourself with the tools and information you need to implement effective environmental monitoring and control programs for viruses. Watch our webinar on best practices for virus environmental monitoring and remediation!
A large dairy product manufacturer expressed interest in an alternate PCR method for the detection of Genus Listeria in their environmental and product testing program due to recurring false-positive detections and high levels of environmental Genus Listeria positives in the recent past. Our objective was to compare the performance of two PCR based methods for Genus Listeria detection.
The experts at Eurofins have identified some key considerations for environment sample collection that will help ensure quality results. These quick tips will help you build a solid foundation for detecting facility risks as you conduct your environmental monitoring programs.
The success of such programs hinges not only on consistent implementation and testing, but also on the effective swabbing of your plant. Below are the top 5 mistakes our experts see plants make when sampling and submitting swabs and sponges for testing.
Watch this webinar to learn how quality and maintenance can work together, and gain insight to demonstrate ROI to your senior management for new equipment or upgrades within your plant.
In this webinar, Doug Marshall, Chief Science Officer at Eurofins Microbiology discusses an approach to zone 1 testing that recommends non-direct-contact surfaces simultaneously for pathogens and indicators, then building a correlation between quantitative indicator count and Salmonella or Listeria prevalence. Dr. Marshall will share insights on how companies are employing this approach, including exploration of the various philosophical and scientific rationales for zone 1 pathogen testing.
In this webinar, Dr. Douglas Marshall, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Eurofins Microbiology, outlines his most valuable tips for an effective environmental monitoring program.
Collecting environment samples in an aseptic manner is critical to ensuring the quality of the testing results. Eurofins Microbiology has updated our guide to effective environmental swabbing.
