McDonald’s Faces McRib Lawsuit: Does the Cult Favorite Contain Real Rib Meat?

A class-action lawsuit filed late last month in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses McDonald's of deceptive advertising over its iconic McRib sandwich , arguing that the product’s name and marketing mislead consumers into believing it contains actual pork rib meat. The plaintiffs, representing several states, claim the fast-food chain has intentionally cultivated hype and scarcity around the McRib through limited-time releases and advertising campaigns, most recently bringing the sandwich back in November.

"The name 'McRib' is a deliberate sleight of hand. By including the word ‘Rib’ in the name of the sandwich, McDonald's knowingly markets the sandwich in a way that deceives reasonable consumers, who reasonably (but mistakenly) believe that a product named the 'McRib' will include at least some meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat, which commands a premium price on the market," the lawsuit said. "McDonald's does this despite knowing that the sandwich in fact does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat — indeed, none at all."

Instead, the complaint alleges that the sandwich contains no rib meat at all and is made from restructured pork derived from lower-grade cuts.

"Put simply: consumers have been materially misled en masse as a result of McDonald's deceptive labeling and marketing into purchasing sandwiches that they would not otherwise have purchased, or would only have paid less for, had they known the truth," the lawsuit said.

McDonald’s strongly disputed the claims. "This lawsuit distorts the facts, and many of the claims are inaccurate,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do — that's why we're committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu. Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them."

The McRib , first introduced in 1981, has since become a cult favorite, cycling on and off menus over the decades and achieving nationwide availability in 2020.