Fast food giant McDonald’s must face a proposed class action lawsuit regarding its famous McRib sandwich, a federal judge in Chicago ruled Friday.
The issue surrounds the meat used inside the popular sandwich that some believe does not live up to its name, Fox Business reported.
“U.S. District Judge April Perry in Chicago rejected the company’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety, allowing consumer deception, fraud and unjust enrichment claims to proceed while dismissing five other claims without prejudice,” the report stated.
“The lawsuit, filed by four consumers in December, alleges that McDonald’s designed the McRib patty to resemble a rack of pork ribs despite containing no actual rib meat,” the outlet said. “The plaintiffs argue that the sandwich’s name, appearance and marketing mislead customers into believing they are purchasing a more expensive cut of pork.”
A federal judge has rejected McDonald's request to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of defrauding consumers by misrepresenting the contents of its McRib sandwich. The plaintiffs accused McDonald's of intentionally shaping McRib patties with ridges to resemble… pic.twitter.com/39ISBKTtFl
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 1, 2026
The McDonald’s website features the McRib and lists the ingredients inside the patty as pork, water, salt, dextrose, and rosemary extract.
Video footage shows how the patties are made:
As McRib season approaches, let’s talk about what’s actually in it.
— McFranchisee (@McFranchisee) October 22, 2026
Patty: pork, water, salt, dextrose, and rosemary extract. That’s it.
About 12 years ago, we worked with Grant Imahara in a series to show what’s really in our food instead of letting outsiders define it for… pic.twitter.com/JSa1LYv83S
According to a USA Today report:
The lawsuit alleges McDonald’s uses lower-grade pork products including shoulder, heart, tripe or stomach – and as a result, consumers overpay for the sandwich.
McDonald’s maintained that it does not use hearts, tripe or stomach in the McRib, and has always been transparent about its ingredients, in a statement to Reuters. “This lawsuit distorts the facts and the claims are meritless,” the statement said.
McDonald’s relaunched its McRib sandwich this week and it will reportedly be available to diners in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas, per the Food Institute.
The sandwich debuted in 1981 and the following year expanded nationwide but struggled to win over consumers.
It was taken off the menu in 1985 but relaunched again a few years later, and this year it turned 45 years old.
WATCH:
“Regardless of your opinion of the McRib, its long-standing history reflects a notable marketing tenet: scarcity sells. The McRib's repeated disappearances and sightings have transformed it into the stuff of legend, inspiring fans to plan Bigfoot-esque quests to track it down – and, in turn, market it for free,” the Institute report stated.
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