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:
FAMI-QS is the only global Quality and Feed Safety Management System for the sector of Specialty Feed Ingredients. Our webinar aims to provide participants with the information they need regarding the requirements of the FAMI-QS Version 6.
This Proposition 65 Guide will help food, ingredient, and supplement companies navigate the regulatory and testing challenges that Proposition 65 presents when selling products into the state of California.
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.
Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA), a global scientific leader in bioanalytical testing, announces the successful closing of the transaction to acquire Covance Food Solutions from LabCorp (LH: NYSE), a leading global life sciences company. Covance Food Solutions provides product integrity, food safety, product development and consulting solutions for end-use segments that span the life cycle of food, beverage and dietary supplement products.
This webinar will help you understand several of the new rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) including an intro to Preventive Controls for Human foods (PC), Produce, and Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP).
DuPont Nutrition & Health (N&H) and Eurofins have developed and validated strain-level identification assays in probiotic testing, leading the way for industry-wide product integrity and label accuracy.
Food Safety – Packaging Concerns – Opening Up a Can of …Well You Know. Learn about packing concerns from this case study performed by Eurofins SFA.
Hiring consultants on a need-be basis can eat up time in your schedule. That is why Eurofins created a Membership Program to streamline your company’s planning and increase your time spent in conversation with a consultant.
In this digital conference Eurofins experts, industry partners and food safety thought leaders guide attendees through a discussion of the latest solutions and controls for persistent pet food manufacturing issues.
Addressing the differences between Food Defense and Food Fraud in the wake of the Intentional Adulteration (IA) Rule.
