I Watched Cows Being Milked; Is This Cholov Yisroel?

I visited a farm and saw cows being milked; the farm sold some of this milk to consumers. May this milk be treated as Cholov Yisroel?

No, it should not be treated as Cholov Yisroel. Halacha states that a Yisroel should be present to supervise milking prior to the actual milking in order to inspect the equipment for residue of non-supervised milk (v. Yoreh Deah 115:1); since this is not done on farms that allow visitors, the milk should not be treated as Cholov Yisroel.

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt”l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.