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 episode of The Scoop, host Keren Breiterman speaks with Dave Ellingson, Director of Scientific Strategy for Eurofins Chemistry Testing Laboratories - Madison, about the role of phospholipids in infant formula and their importance in replicating the composition of human milk.
In this episode of The Scoop, host Keren Breiterman speaks with Dave Ellingson, Director of Scientific Strategy for Eurofins Chemistry Testing Laboratories - Madison, about Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs)—what they are, why they matter, and how they’re shaping the future of infant nutrition.
In this video, Business Unit Manager Ian Laessig shares how the Eurofins team collaborates with OTC and GMP clients to ensure compliant testing and a seamless experience.
In this video, Business Unit Manager, Mallory Bolander, discusses what trends Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing Madison, Inc. is seeing across the food and dietary supplement industries and how they adapt to changing client needs.
In this video, Business Unit Manager Ian Laessig explores how Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing supports the OTC and GMP industries with comprehensive testing solutions for APIs in finished products, ingredients, and excipients.
In this episode of The Scoop, host Keren Breiterman speaks with Chief Science Officer, Daryl Sullivan about the evolution of infant formula testing standards and his role in shaping them.
The Scoop Podcast returns with season 2! In this first episode of the new season, host Keren Breiterman, explores the essential role of vitamins in infant formula and their impact on early development with Staff Scientist Dan Hengst.
Olive growers need to accurately measure polyphenol concentrations in their raw products for downstream processing. Watch our case study video below to learn how Eurofins effectively analyzed both the complex matrix of raw olives and the simpler matrix of olive-based refined products.
HPTLC is a popular method for botanical identification. Click the image below to open a video and learn the basics of HPTLC and how it can benefit your products.
Join host Keren Breiterman, for episode 6 of The Scoop Podcast. In this episode, Keren and guests Ed Ladwig, President, Ian Laessig, Business Unit Manager, and Marisa Feller, Business Unit Manager, Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing Madison discuss vitamin and nutrient testing in infant formula samples.
