After Tukaram Mundhe, ‘Lady Singham’ Roshan Jacob leads UP’s 2,075-raid food crackdown

UP’s Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Dr Roshan Jacob, has been likened to Maharashtra’s no-nonsense bureaucrat Tukaram Mundhe in their aggressive approach to food adulteration. Jacob is leading a state-wide operation targeting adulterated food products such as milk, paneer, ghee, and edible oils. Her hands-on approach has earned her the nickname ‘Lady Singham’.

In conducting 3,537 inspections and 2,075 raids, Jacob’s teams have collected 2,965 samples for lab testing and seized food products worth Rs 11.66 crore. Of this, Rs 30.44 lakh worth of adulterated dairy products were destroyed. The biggest focus of the crackdown was on dairy products, with 572 raids resulting in the seizure of 1,876.66 quintals of milk and dairy products.

Apart from milk and ghee, the campaign also targeted unsafe edible oil and ghee. Authorities suspended 41 licences, sealed 57 manufacturing units, and halted production at 37 facilities due to quality violations. Jacob’s efforts have also led to the detection of dangerous substances like detergents, refined oils, talcum powder, titanium dioxide, and hydrogen peroxide in some dairy manufacturing operations.

Jacob, a 2004-batch IAS officer, has previously served in various Uttar Pradesh districts and led the mining department before her current role. Her tough enforcement style has cemented her reputation as the ‘Lady Singham’ of UP’s food safety crackdown.