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:
Pet owners might turn to nutraceuticals that may support relief in some Osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms. One such nutraceutical is chondroitin sulfate. Explore new scientific developments happening at Eurofins in Des Moines, IA for quantifying chondroitin sulfate in complex matrices like pet food and treats.
The goal of the FDA's proposed rule for Front-of-Package (FOP) nutrition labeling is to require easily noticeable and obvious nutrition information. Check out our infographic about the FDA's proposed rule for front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling.
This webinar explores approaches to method and monograph development while maintaining safety and quality standards specific to the OTC and Dietary Supplement industries. The speakers share industry insights regarding current state and potential changes with a changing administration. Original Air Date: February 24, 2025.
As part of an effort to promote public health, the FDA has updated the requirements that food must meet in order to use the “healthy” claim on their labels. Our infographic gives background on the update and a high-level view of the criteria.
As a manufacturer of specialty pet food or pet food products, how will Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) affect your business? In this blog, we help you decipher high-level changes coming with PFLM, including how to prepare for the updated guidelines.
In this on-demand webinar, Mollie Van Alst provides a straight-forward explanation of the FDA's proposed changes to the definition of "healthy" on food labels. Original Air Date November 7, 2024.
Understand what an acidified food is, the regulations associated with acidified foods, and different sterilization techniques (thermal processing and cold-fill-hold) for various food products. This guide will help you to determine the classification of a food, and provide resources to aid in processing, FDA filing, and where to go to with further questions.
In this blog, we help you decipher high-level changes coming with Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM), as well as how to be prepared for the updated guidelines for pet food products.
In this on-demand webinar Doug Marshall and John Scanga explain the latest regulatory challenges in food safety and quality from the FDA and USDA with a focus on the new rules and regulations. Original airdate August 7, 2024.
This poster evaluates the microbiological safety of immersion method concentrated coffee, and single strength cold brew coffee processed by UHT. The results were used to determine if temperature controls for safety (TCS) should be required for these products during retail.
