McDonald’s Must Face a Lawsuit Alleging Its McRib Misleads Customers About Whether It Contains Rib Meat
by Jerome London · Thought CatalogUpdated 1 minute ago, October 30, 2026
A $7 sandwich shouldn’t require customers to research which cut of pork they’re buying, a federal judge said Friday as she allowed a proposed class action over McDonald’s McRib to proceed.
The plaintiffs say they paid too much for the McRib because its name and ridged patty suggest rib meat, while the sandwich uses cheaper pork products. Their lawsuit alleges those products include shoulder, heart, tripe or stomach. Rib meat commands a higher price and is valued for its fat and flavor.
McDonald’s argues that reasonable customers wouldn’t expect rib meat. In Chicago, US District Judge April Perry said accepting that argument would be premature, although she dismissed some claims. Customers needn’t investigate before buying the sandwich, Perry said; the company’s website describes the meat simply as pork.
“Plaintiffs’ proffered understanding of ‘McRib’ is not unreasonable or fanciful,” Perry wrote. More evidence is needed to support the allegation of intentional deception, she said, but advertising that emphasizes the patty’s rib-like shape could help provide that support.
McDonald’s argues that distinctive product names don’t mislead reasonable customers and that a preference for a particular pork cut “doesn’t turn McDonald’s truthful marketing into consumer fraud.” Friday’s ruling allows surviving claims to move forward; it doesn’t establish that the company committed fraud.
The McRib has appeared periodically on McDonald’s menu since 1981.
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