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:

Microbial Growth Dynamics; A Lettuce Inoculation Study Observing STEC & Lettuce Microflora Behavior Under Stressed And Unstressed Conditions

The research and development team of Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. set out to better understand STEC growth on lettuce by designing an experiment to observe the limits of detection by real-time PCR using bacteria that were cold-stressed against those grown under non-stressed conditions. This white paper explains further.

Keywords: Scientific Research Microbiology Shelf Life Produce R&D Pathogens

NEW Enteric Pathogen Risk Indicator (EPRI™) Testing

New Rapid Pathogen Testing Services. Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. is pleased to share our new Enteric Pathogen Risk Indicator (EPRI™) Testing. This new service is a rapid approach to risk identification and management using fast genetic technology (PCR) with the benefits of an indicator test. In addition, we can screen for Salmonella and Shiga toxigenic E. coli at the same time in one assay.

Keywords: Scientific Research Microbiology Produce Pathogens Environmental

Pathogen Risks in Food Handling, Preparation, and Production

Learn about the most common food pathogens and their impact in food handling and production. Testing your products can help manage risk of contamination from pathogens. Partner with Eurofins for all of your food safety testing needs.

Keywords: Blog Microbiology Food Dairy Supplements Pathogens

Understanding STEC: Information You Need to Know

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), in particular, is a group of E. coli strains most associated with foodborne outbreaks. As food producers, you have the responsibility to ensure your consumers don't become a statistic. Read on to learn more about STEC and other food pathogens and how to eliminate them from your products.

Keywords: Microbiology Blog Food Meat Pathogens

Ask An Expert with David Legan - Absence, Negative, and Not Detected

Is "not detected" the same as "absent"? David Legan, Ph.D. from Eurofins Microbiology in Madison, WI discusses this topic in this short video.

Keywords: Video Microbiology Food Pathogens Ask An Expert

Ask an Expert with Dan DeMarco - Pathogen PCR Testing

Why do pathogen tests take days when the detection methods (like PCR) can be completed in just a few hours? Dan DeMarco, Ph.D. from our Eurofins Microbiology lab in Louisville, KY discusses this topic in this short video. Eurofins publishes our Ask an Expert Series weekly on our social media platforms.

Keywords: Video Microbiology Pathogens Ask An Expert