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:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors drug manufacturers' compliance with its current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations in order to ensure the quality of drug products. These regulations are designed to assure products are safe for use and contain the ingredients, strengths, and efficacies of claims made by the product. Learn what tests your OTC products need to be compliant.
Discover how to reduce sodium without sacrificing taste or functionality in food and beverage products. This white paper explores formulation strategies, technical insights, and best practices for achieving sodium reduction while maintaining consumer appeal.
The Pet Food Label Modernization (PFLM) initiative is reshaping industry standards, making dietary fiber a required metric. Learn how this change impacts pet food formulations, testing methods, and nutritional transparency.
The Eurofins team of process authorities routinely provides expert guidance to food manufacturers to prepare microbiologically safe products. In this service, we encounter many questions that span across a variety of food products and manufacturing processes. Here we list and will continue to compile the most common questions and answers asked of a process authority and the responses. Use this information as a guide in your scheduled process or as you work through the formulation and development of your new food product. You may also use this as a tool to submit your own questions for a process authority!
In the dietary supplement and ingredient industry, guaranteeing the safety and quality of products is essential. One important part of quality control is the testing for residual solvents—volatile chemicals used during manufacturing that can pose health risks if not adequately removed. Click to read our blog on considerations in testing for residual solvents.
The botanical industry’s unprecedented surge in popularity brings exciting possibilities, but it also invites a serious challenge: adulteration. This blog explains how to identify adulterated botanicals and the role of third-party testing in protecting consumer health and trust.
Compendial methods used for detecting sulfur dioxide and sulfites are prone to challenges, including false positives in sulfur-rich matrices. Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing Madison, Inc. offers a solution. Click to read about the innovative LC-MS method for determining sulfur dioxide and sulfites in food products.
Innovative ideas are common. Successfully launched products are not. Bringing a food or beverage concept to market involves far more than creativity. Our roadmap outlines the seven key stages required to take a product from initial idea to successful commercial launch—along with the risks, requirements, and technical checkpoints involved at each step. Click to read our guide for food startup and growth-stage brands.
The world of wellness is experiencing a “gummification” wave, which includes using gummies to deliver APIs as a replacement for traditional forms like pills and syrups. But this matrix doesn't come without challenges. Click to read how you can ensure the effectiveness of alternative forms like gummies, chews, drink mixes, and lozenges.
Consumer demand for clean label, natural, and plant-based products continues to drive reformulation efforts across the food and beverage industry. One of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the move away from artificial colors (FD&C dyes) in favor of natural colorants derived from fruits, vegetables, plants, and minerals. This paper outlines the common challenges when removing artificial colorants, and shares best practices for creating stable, visually appealing, and cost-effective products using natural alternatives.
