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 this on-demand webinar, you will learn essentials of FDA Form 483 observations, compliance responsibilities, and the dietary supplement regulatory landscape. Original airdate November 16, 2023.
In this on-demand webinar, Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories has partnered with Rheonix to explore the challenges centering around recurring Listeria in an environment, and to offer real answers to your nagging Listeria questions and limited industry resources. Original airdate November 14, 2023.
In this on-demand webinar, you will learn how to assess your microbiological food safety hazards related to these holding steps and determine if pathogen growth and/or toxin production may occur. We will discuss several case studies as well as different strategies you may employ to address these identified risks. Original airdate October 11, 2023.
In this webinar Jamie Willems, Ph.D. and Lily Zehfus, M.Sc. discuss common causes of off-odor, off-flavor, and flavor scalping issues as well as GC-MS techniques for troubleshooting. Original airdate September 12, 2023.
This is a follow up on our very successful previous webinar session where we discussed what is flow cytometry, advantages and disadvantages of flow cytometry, and marketplace examples and investigative case studies. Original airdate August 8, 2023.
Join Eurofins Senior Staff Scientist, Lukas Vaclavik, for a discussion about per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the food industry. Original airdate July 19, 2023.
In this presentation, Dr. DeMarco illustrates how positive pathogen results can be used to make real improvements in processes, facilitating a safer production environment with lower overall contamination risks and safer food for the consumer. Original airdate July 12, 2023.
This webinar discusses what is flow cytometry, advantages and disadvantages of flow cytometry, and marketplace examples and investigative case studies. Original airdate June 27, 2023.
In this webinar, Jeff Stassi and Lukas Vaclavik will discuss testing for both contaminants and adulterants in your products. Also, the importance of designing the proper monitoring program to ensure your products are safe and compliant. Original airdate June 20, 2023.
In this webinar we review the call to action from the FDA, provide an overview of the technology of whole genome sequencing. Discuss the benefits of whole genome sequencing, and review the ways that Eurofins is ready to support your testing needs. Original Air Date May 18, 2023
