I assume that the widespread custom of eating/drinking Cholov Stam products (products using milk in which the milking was not observed by a Jew) is relying on the leniency of R' Moshe Feinstein that the government supervision and FDA oversight is enough to assume the kosher status of the milk. If so, why are there some brands of milk that have a hechsher, which is not a Cholov Yisroel hechsher? If you aren't being stringent for Cholov Yisroel and the hechsher is not accomplishing that, what is the purpose of the hechsher?
If the answer is that there is no purpose, is it dishonest of Kashrus agencies to take money for a useless hechsher?
Answer
Yoni is correct, companies ask for kosher certifications for all sorts of reasons. (I know a rabbi who had his phone ringing off the hook from two American sugar companies begging for certification. Neither needed it from the laws of kosher per se, but both were hoping to sell to a confection company that had made a simple blanket rule, "all our suppliers must have kosher certification.") But there are actually other issues (at least in the USA) besides the milk per se. Vitamin D can be synthesized from mineral ingredients, or can be "all natural" from marine creatures. (After-the-fact it would be batel as it's not a flavor or enzyme.) The line could also produce chocolate milk or the like. Most of these problems would likely be batel after the fact, but many prefer to follow the Rashba's opinion that bitul is only relied upon in cases of mistakes.
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