Attorney General's News Release

October 16, 2012

St. Louis-area butcher shop settles lawsuit over mislabeled meat for $50,000 -- butcher shop sold ground beef containing ground cow hearts --

Jefferson City, Mo. -– Attorney General Chris Koster said today that John’s Butcher Shoppee will pay the state of Missouri $50,000 and will submit to unannounced inspections by the Missouri Department of Agriculture to settle a lawsuit alleging it labeled and sold products as “ground beef” when the products contained ground cattle hearts.

“Consumers must be able to trust that food products they purchase are what the seller and manufacturer have advertised,” Koster said. “My office will continue to protect consumers by pursuing any food manufacturer who misrepresents our local food supply.”

Koster said that John’s Butcher Shoppee also has agreed to label all products correctly and to submit samples at any time to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Koster filed suit in June 2011 against John’s Butcher Shoppee; its president, Michael Kolish; and its secretary, Thomas Kolish. The settlement with the defendants covers the company’s stores in Overland and Festus, as well as any other business operated by Michael and Thomas Kolish.

The Attorney General credited the Missouri Department of Agriculture for its work in identifying unlabeled heart muscle and soy in the butcher shop’s products.