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:
Validation of aseptic fillers intended for the production of low-acid, shelf-stable products is a core requirement of the FDA’s low-acid canned food (LACF) regulations (21CFR113 and 108.35). Microbiological challenges of the aseptic zone and packaging material sterilization cycles are important components of the validation process. These challenges are often conducted at the production site using non-pathogenic surrogate organisms that mimic the resistance of the pertinent target pathogen. This presentation will provide a brief history of the use of such surrogates for the validation of low-acid aseptic fillers along with the approach we have used to qualify the surrogates as adequate for the intended technology.”
When we send a sample of food for testing, we generally think about a pretty simple system where we submit a sample, wait a bit of time, and then find out if the target organism is there. What we often forget is just how complex our food, processing systems, and environments truly are.
Today, there is a widely shared belief that the rate of non confirming presumptives (NCP’s) “false positives” in food pathogen diagnostics has increased significantly in recent years. This increase has been most closely associated with PCR and real time PCR testing. It has not yet been possible to answer the question definitively, nevertheless, the belief is real, and the limited data that have been analyzed suggest that non confirming presumptive rates are indeed on the rise.
Join our team of presenters at Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories for an in-depth webinar all about rapid microbiological methods. They presented on the range of methods available, as well as the technologies behind them, while also exploring factors that affect their performance. Learn what to consider when selecting a rapid method such as sensitivity, validation status, and speed. Practical considerations around the method applications will be addressed.
Learn about the most common food pathogens and their impact in food handling and production. Testing your products can help manage risk of contamination from pathogens. Partner with Eurofins for all of your food safety testing needs.
New validated methods are here at Eurofins! Check out this white paper written by Joelle Mosso on our new method for faster and more cost efficient pathogen analysis on beef trim using MicroTally® cloths!
Whole-Genome Sequencing aids in tracking foodborne illnesses and drug resistance in food pathogens. Read on to learn how WGS ensures food safety and quality.
Testing food and ingredients is a proactive step you can take to analyze and verify the quality and safety of your products. There are many considerations you should know about using test kits and instruments in your manufacturing plant. This article provides advice and considerations when buying in-house test kits and instruments.
Are you stuck on the proverbial micro testing loop? Do you submit a sample to the lab, get a non-compliant result, fill out some paperwork, visit a field and then just start right back over at step one? If so watch this webinar on how to fix those issues.
How often does infant formula require testing? Keren Breiterman of Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing in Madison, WI discusses this topic in this short video. Eurofins publishes our Ask an Expert Series weekly on our social media platforms.
