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 presentation, USP and Eurofins Microbiology provided an overview of USP microbiology methods tests for microbial contamination in dietary supplements, CBD/hemp products, and probiotics. The session included an in-depth discussion regarding the importance of suitability testing, and a comparison of USP methodology to AOAC/FDA BAM methodology. USP also provided an update on new USP chapters and shared insight on what is on the horizon for USP methods.
This presentation is focused on potential hemp regulations and their related dietary supplement regulations. Some topics during this discussion include section 321(ff)(3)(B) of the FD&C Act and its impact on hemp ingredients, new dietary ingredient requirements and preparation to meet federal regulations for dietary supplements, including dietary supplement Good Manufacturing Practices, should FDA or Congress recognize hemp extracts as lawful dietary ingredients.
This online presentation announces the establishment of a groundbreaking partnership. Backed by a grant from the US Department of Commerce, the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) and National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) have partnered with the China Society for Inspection and Testing (CSIT) and Eurofins to establish a qualification program focused on high-quality botanical and nutritional ingredients from China, and to provide new direct access to the Chinese consumer market for US dietary supplements for humans and pets.
Off-flavor and off-odor issues can damage your brand reputation and even result in recall. Watch our webinar to learn how Eurofins uses gas chromatography with mass spectral detection (GC-MS) to provide solutions for off-flavors, off-odors, and flavor scalping caused by improper product packaging, or production or transportation issues. This webinar was originally recorded on October 01, 2020.
Watch this Eurofins and SafetyChain webinar to understand which aspects of your audit process can be conducted remotely, how to get started, and how to gain access to the technology that simplifies the process.
Our webinar hosted by Dr. Neal Craft, Chief Scientific Officer of Eurofins, explores the world of natural pigments, testing methods, and unique matrix challenges.
In our webinar, we explain how to reduce the stress of the audit process using technology developed with SafetyChain — something that’s free to all Eurofins customers.
Equip yourself with the tools and information you need to implement effective environmental monitoring and control programs for viruses. Watch our webinar on best practices for virus environmental monitoring and remediation!
During this webinar, Tim Lombardo of Eurofins Food Assurance discussed the differences between food security, food safety, food fraud, and food defense. He provided a short history of FSMA and reviewed regulations for food defense and intentional adulteration protection.
It’s no secret that hemp is a fast-growing market with applications in a wide range of products from supplements to clothing. Watch this comprehensive webinar in which Eurofins experts discuss hemp testing considerations for hemp farmers and processors including genetic, microbiological, and analytical testing.
