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:
The dietary supplement industry has become an increasingly regulated industry since the introduction of the dietary supplement GMPs in 2007. There is still to this day an industry confusion as to the requirements needed to comply with the dietary supplement GMP requirement to use a scientifically valid method. So does this mean the method must be validated?
As NIR instrumentation ages or manufacturers discontinue the support for older platforms, it is necessary to look for a replacement. With so many brands and models in the market and manufacturers’ claims of impressive capabilities, how does one narrow down the selection and find the correct choice?
In this article read about how Eurofins QTA has developed a new method using NIR to test the THC levels of hemp and cannabis that are being utilized by state police to rapidly determine the THC levels of confiscated cannabis.
This article discusses aflatoxins in food and how to mitigate risks for food safety. Aflatoxins are a serious concern for food producers, but Eurofins can help with ISO 17025 accredited laboratories for testing as well as On-Site Grain Inspection services.
Have a product needing a Facts Panel and not sure which one to use? This article explains the differences between food and dietary supplement labeling and what food and supplement manufacturers must include on their labels.
This blog will focus on clarifying a less familiar cousin of the well-established sugar – the sugar alcohol.
A guide to frequently asked questions around testing dietary supplements and ingredients with US Pharmacopeia (USP) microbiology methods. Learn more about testing samples with USP.
Read about the function of probiotics in the body, the different varieties and benefits, and how they’re consumed in the diet, from common to new sources. See what to consider when choosing a third party lab for testing and how Eurofins is one of the most trusted labs in the industry.
Instrument calibration management is the key to mass balance optimization in dairy plants. Eurofins DQCI is the dairy industry’s leading analytical laboratory, adhering to the highest standards supporting infrared and near-infrared technology worldwide.
In this informative conversation between Vanessa Snyder and Grace Bandong they discuss contaminant testing in hemp and CBD products and why it is important. Grace tells companies the importance of testing for contaminants and gives advice for when and what to test.
