- A class action lawsuit alleges that McDonald’s is falsely advertising the McRib because it contains no actual pork rib meat.
- The suit claims consumers pay a premium for what sounds like a higher-quality cut, when it’s actually made from lower-grade pork.
- McDonald’s says the lawsuit’s claims are inaccurate and distort the facts.
It’s a tough day for McRib lovers. The iconic McDonald’s sandwich is under fire because, despite its name, the McRib reportedly contains no pork rib meat. The sandwich is at the center of a new class-action lawsuit against the chain, alleging that its branding and pricing imply customers are buying a premium pork rib sandwich and that they’re being misled. The suit claims the McRib is made from “restructured” pork using lower-grade cuts of meat instead of actual rib meat.
The plaintiffs point to the USDA’s National Daily Pork Report, arguing that rib meat is pricier than other pork cuts, and they claim McDonald’s is taking advantage of this “premium” designation. People reports that “the company vehemently denies the claims in the lawsuit, noting that the claims are inaccurate and ‘distorts the facts.'”
The plaintiffs, however, argue they wouldn’t have purchased the McRib, or would have paid less for it, if they’d known it didn’t contain rib meat. The lawsuit accuses McDonald’s of fraudulent omission and misrepresentation, along with breach of warranty and unjust enrichment, and seeks damages, restitution, and injunctive relief.
This isn’t the first time a major food brand has been hit with a deceptive marketing lawsuit. In 2025, a suit claimed that Cape Cod falsely lists its chips as containing “no artificial ingredients,” while Burger King came under fire for the size of its Whoppers. As for the McRib case, the people online aren’t really buying it.
“But there are really shamrocks in the shamrock shake — right?” one person wrote on a Reddit thread discussing the lawsuit. “If I were representing McDonald’s my first question for the plaintiff would be…’have you ever been in a McDonald’s?'” commented another.
“Just wait until they find out French fries don’t contain any French,” another person joked.
Only time will tell whether the court decides if the McRib name crosses a legal line—or if it’ll get dismissed into the “sure, whatever” pile.