McDonald’s McRib class action lawsuit moves forward over ‘deceptive’ meat
A federal judge rejected McDonald’s request to dismiss a class action lawsuit over the McRib sandwich, accusing the corporation of misleading customers with claims that it contains actual pork rib meat.
The lawsuit, filed on Dec. 23, 2025 in U.S. District Court in Chicago and viewed by Global News, said that McDonald’s has “cultivated a sense of anticipation around the McRib, leveraging its scarcity to drive sales across its many locations.”
“Fans eagerly await each return, trusting that the sandwich they’re biting into is exactly what the name implies: a sandwich crafted using pork ‘rib’ meat, which is prized by consumers for its high fat content and rich flavor,” the lawsuit reads.
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“The reality, however, is far from what McDonald’s advertising and branding suggest. Despite its name and distinctive shape—its meat patty has been deliberately crafted to resemble a rack of pork ribs,” the lawsuit alleges.
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While dismissing some claims, U.S. District Judge April Perry in McDonald’s hometown of Chicago called it premature to accept the company’s argument that no reasonable consumer could expect the McRib to contain rib meat, according to Reuters.
Perry said McDonald’s ads for the McRib highlighting the meat’s rib-like shape could support a claim of intent to defraud, though further proof was needed.
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“Plaintiffs’ proffered understanding of ‘McRib’ is not unreasonable or fanciful,” Perry wrote, according to Reuters.
It contended that distinctive product names do not fool reasonable consumers, and the plaintiffs’ preference for a certain cut of pork “doesn’t turn McDonald’s truthful marketing into consumer fraud.”
McDonald’s describes the McRib as a “seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and tangy pickles, all served on a toasted homestyle bun.”
But the lawsuit, filed by four consumers from California, New York, Illinois and Washington, D.C., alleges that the McRib “does not contain any actual pork rib meat at all.”
“Instead, its meat patty is reconstructed using ground-up portions of lower-grade pork products such as, inter alia, pork shoulder, heart, tripe and scalded stomach,” the lawsuit reads.
The filing notes that the name of the sandwich “is a deliberate sleight of hand.”
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“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 states.
“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,” the lawsuit adds.
In a statement, McDonald’s maintained that it does not use hearts, tripe or stomach in the McRib, and has always been transparent about its ingredients.
“This lawsuit distorts the facts and the claims are meritless,” it said in a statement to Reuters.
Thiago Coelho, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said his clients will continue seeking accountability for deceptive marketing.
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The lawsuit further alleges that consumers have been misled “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.”
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“By including the word ‘Rib’ in the name of the McRib, as well as by going out of its way to shape the sandwich’s patty into the shape of a pork rib, McDonald’s knows or should know that consumers are so misled,” the lawsuit said. “In fact, it is precisely these misleading attributes that drive sales of the sandwich, which is why McDonald’s continues to bring it back time after time.”
Each plaintiff claims they would have never purchased the McRib or would have paid less for it if they had known it did not contain any pork rib meat.
The lawsuit accuses McDonald’s of fraudulent omission or concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and other counts.
“McDonald’s deceptive omissions and misleading marketing have resulted in millions of dollars in consumer harm, warranting legal remedies including compensatory damages, restitution, and injunctive relief to prevent further deceptive advertising practices,” the lawsuit adds.
The plaintiffs are seeking class certification for anyone who purchased a McRib in the four years prior to the filing of the complaint, an order enjoining McDonald’s to desist from further deceptive naming, marketing and advertising practices with respect to the McRib, and damages for class members of “compensatory, exemplary, and punitive remedies and damages and statutory penalties, including interest, in an amount to be proven at trial,” according to the suit.
They are also seeking an award of lawyers’ fees and costs and “an award of prejudgment and post judgment interest.”
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