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:
This scientific poster discusses the influence of various modes of detection and sample preparation for Vitamin K analysis.
This paper discusses the theory behind supercritical fluids, key method information, and the benefits to testing fat soluble vitamins in supplements as well as mycotoxins in food products by this unique and green chemistry methodology.
This scientific poster demonstrates how flow cytometry can be used to accurately and precisely enumerate B. coagulans and B. subtilis in a gummy matrix.
Are you a food safety, quality, design, packaging production, or risk mitigation professional? Learn the top reasons for packaged food, beverage, and ingredient failures—and what to do when faced with a crisis scenario.
Third-party food safety testing is a surefire strategy to save money, boost quality, and increase profit margins. Find out how Eurofins can partner with your company.
With a more wellness-conscious consumer market, virgin olive oil has an opportunity to attract customers with its health-boosting properties tied to polyphenols. In our webinar, John Reuther discuses pros and cons of testing methods for polyphenol determination and introduces a new quantitative method. Then, Mary Mori of California Olive Ranch discusses California agriculture regulations regarding discharge of waste streams and effect in field.
Have you ever wondered about the journey of your sample once you’ve sent it to Eurofins? This handy infographic shows the life cycle of a sample once we’ve received it in our laboratory, from labeling and identification through analysis and reporting.
Does your food or supplement package contain translucent packaging? If so, your product and its ingredients could be susceptible to photochemical changes. This infographic illustrates the mechanics of photostability studies as well as the key attributes and product types impacted by light exposure.
This poster explores the use of flow cytometry in GFP-tagged Salmonella strains as positive controls for rapid qualitative Salmonella detection testing.
This infographic poster describes how targeted and shotgun metagenome-based microbiomes use DNA sequencing to identify and provide proportions of microorganisms in a single assay.
