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McDonald's dealt legal setback as judge allows McRib meat lawsuit to proceed
· Confirmed
In Short: 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, as noted by Fox Business and NBC News.
A federal judge ruled Friday that McDonald's must face a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the fast-food giant of misleading customers about the meat used in its popular McRib sandwich, according to Fox Business and LiveNOW from FOX.
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, as reported by NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
According to the court filing, one survey found that 72% of respondents expected the McRib to contain rib meat, while another found that 67% considered rib meat important or very important to their purchasing decision, as cited by Fox Business and LiveNOW from FOX.
McDonald's argued that the sandwich's name does not mislead reasonable consumers and that its publicly available ingredient list identifies pork as the primary ingredient, according to NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
Judge Perry rejected the argument that the McRib's trademarked name shields the company from deceptive marketing claims, noting that other McDonald's products, including the McChicken and Egg McMuffin, have names that describe their ingredients, as reported by NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
The judge also said ads highlighting the meat’s rib-like shape could support a claim of intent to defraud, though further proof was needed, as cited by NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
McDonald's has sold the McRib periodically since 1981, according to NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
The plaintiffs accused McDonald’s of intentionally shaping McRib patties with ridges to resemble pork ribs and make diners believe the sandwich contains rib meat, an expensive cut known for its higher fat content and rich flavor, as reported by NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
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, as cited by NBC News and LiveNOW from FOX.
Customers say its name and rib-shaped patty create an expectation of rib meat, as reported by Open Magazine and Openthemagazine.
According to an unofficial fan-run McRib Location website, there have been sightings of the McRib in almost every state, as cited by FOX 5 DC and LiveNOW from FOX.
In the app, you can also swap McRib-themed stickers and plan sandwich dates with friends, as reported by FOX 5 DC and LiveNOW from FOX.
What's confirmed
- A federal judge ruled Friday that McDonald's must face a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the fast-food giant of misleading customers about the meat used in its popular McRib sandwich.
- One survey found that 72% of respondents expected the McRib to contain rib meat, while another found that 67% considered rib meat important or very important to their purchasing decision, according to the court filing.
- There are nearly 45,000 McDonald's restaurants worldwide. (Edgar Su/Reuters, File / Reuters Photos) As FOX Business previously reported, the lawsuit alleges that the McRib contains lower-grade pork products, including pork shoulder, heart, tripe and stomach, rather than rib meat.
- The ruling allows portions of the case to proceed but does not establish that McDonald's engaged in deceptive advertising.
- Perry determined that it was too early to conclude that consumers could not reasonably expect the sandwich to contain rib meat, citing allegations about its marketing and consumer surveys submitted by the plaintiffs.
- 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.
- McDonald's argued that the sandwich's name does not mislead reasonable consumers and that its publicly available ingredient list identifies pork as the primary ingredient.
- 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 company previously told FOX Business that it does not use heart, tripe or scalded stomach in the McRib patty.
- McDonald’s, the global fast-food chain, is facing a fresh legal setback over its McRib pork sandwich.
- On October 30, 2026, a federal judge in Chicago allowed key claims in a proposed consumer class action to proceed.
- Reuters also reported differing expert assessments of the legal risks posed by the franchise arrangement.
What's still developing
- If you want to find which location has the beloved sandwich, there is an official "McRib Finder" app for iOS and Android phones.
- Last week, McDonald's didn't divulge on why the McRib wasn't a permanent menu option.
- The distinction is simple: identifying meat as pork does not identify which part of the pig it comes from.
- Their original complaint cited prices reaching $7.89 before tax.