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 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.
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.
This study seeks to develop and validate a method for identifying and quantifying four bioactive forms of vitamin B12 (adenosylcobalamin, cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, and methylcobalamin) from dietary ingredients and supplements, as a consensus quality control protocol for dietary supplement labeling and manufacturing.
This infographic highlights the most frequent reasons for variability of laboratory results and measures third party laboratories implement to address variability.
Air, gas, water, and ice used in manufacturing processes must be properly maintained and regularly tested in order to ensure compliance with regulations and safety for consumers. Our webinar aims to clear the mystery surrounding these standards and regulations. Viewers will learn how to navigate the appropriate requirements while protecting their customers.
Here we are in the third post of a series focusing on pet food, pet treat, and pet supplement testing considerations. We have explored guaranteed analysis and other testing considerations such as shelf life and microbes. This time around I’ll expand on a topic that people often view as less a food safety issue and more of a palatability issue: Rancidity.
This series is focused on getting new pet food, pet treat, and pet supplement businesses headed down the right path.
Whether you’re considering selling your homemade pet treats or starting a new pet treat business, one of the first steps you may find yourself tasked with is determining what a guaranteed analysis is. Figuring out how to have a product tested and what information is pertinent can be intimidating – the information in this post is intended to get you started in the right direction.
Not all rancidity tests are equally appropriate. Here are some helpful hints regarding how each test is performed, what it reveals, limitations and which may be more important for a given scenario.
