J. David Legan

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:

In Produce, Its Yuma Season (with some shiny lab updates)

The southwest leafy green industry has once again completed its migration south and Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories Yuma is ready. This year the lab has upgraded to better support the industry.

Keywords: News Produce

A Listeria Test Method Requiring Only a 12-Hour Enrichment in Leafy Green Matrices

This poster discusses research with the purpose to validate enrichment concentration as a method for shortening enrichment times to 12 hours for Listeria testing in leafy greens.

Keywords: Scientific Research Microbiology Produce

Development of a Rapid Enteric Pathogen Indicator for Leafy Greens

This poster discusses research with the purpose to develop a molecular method that detects indicators of enteric pathogen contamination and requires less than six hours of enrichment.

Keywords: Scientific Research Microbiology Produce

The Rise of Eurofins Produce

Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories in Salinas has met this industry demand for quality, and as a result has expanded the Eurofins presence within the produce market.

Keywords: News Produce

Co-enrichment of Salmonella and STEC in Produce Matrices Prior to PCR Detection

This poster discusses research focused on the co-enrichment detection of Salmonella and STEC on produce matrices.

Keywords: Scientific Research Microbiology Produce STEC Salmonella

Evaluation of Novel Real Time PCR Based Risk Assessment Tool – Enteric Pathogen Risk Indicator (EPRI)

This poster discusses research with the purpose to demonstrate proof of concept of the EPRI tool with real-world samples by comparing against a validated pathogen method and culture.

Keywords: Scientific Research Microbiology Produce STEC Salmonella EPRI

Expedited Pesticide Testing for Produce in Central California

Eurofins offers rapid pesticide testing, tailored to the produce industry, with custom service to the west coast growing regions.

Keywords: Produce Contaminants

Minimizing mushroom toxicity in the food chain

Mushroom toxicity comes from many sources, including the soil, processing, and the mushrooms themselves. This infographic outlines sources of contamination, as well as steps to take to minimize the risk of toxins entering the food chain.

Keywords: Infographic Microbiology Food Ingredients Produce

Produce Industry Webinar Series: Organic Integrity Management

Watch this on-demand webinar to learn about the significant organic food industry growth. The webinar provides an overview of the impact of SOE on certified entities, and a discussion on how to build risk management systems to meet regulatory and consumer expectations for your products' organic integrity. Original airdate April 19, 2023.

Keywords: Webinar Produce Regulatory

Hepatitis A & Norovirus- Risk in the Produce Industry Webinar

Is your risk assessment complete? E.coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio, etc. The long list of bacterial pathogens have become common to those managing & developing food safety plans. However, when sitting down for your review of hazards in your HACCP & HARPC plans, it can be easy to forget that bacteria aren’t the only microbes associated with food. In fact, a large share of foodborne illness are caused by viral threats.

Keywords: Webinar Microbiology Hepatitis A Norovirus Produce JMosso

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