McDonald's Slapped with Lawsuit Over McRib Sandwich Alleged 'Rib-Less' Meat Patty

McDonald's offers a wide array of food items, and most of them have been part of the menu for decades. One of the items that has become a favourite of many customers is the McRib sandwich. But unfortunately, McDonald's has been sued for the same McRib sandwich that has enjoyed a cult-like status in stores for a long time already.

A class-action lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Chicago on 23 December 2025, alleges that the fast-food giant has engaged in false advertising by marketing its McRib as a rib product when it reportedly does not contain any real rib meat. The suit claims the patty is a 'restructured' product made from a mixture of pork shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach.

Complaint Against McDonald's: What's Really Inside the Patty?

The plaintiffs named in the lawsuit against McDonald's are Peter Le of Baldwin Park, California, Charles Lynch of Poughkeepsie, New York, Darrick Wilson of Washington, DC and Dorien Baker of Chicago. They are seeking federal class-action status to represent millions of McRib customers from the past four years, with additional legal subclasses focused on buyers in California, New York, Illinois, and Washington.

According to CBS News, the lawsuit asserted that while customers believe they are eating real pork rib meat, the reality is very different. The legal filing claimed that McDonald's McRib is an item with deceptive visuals because, despite its name and a patty shaped to resemble the ridges of a common rib rack, the sandwich has no actual rib meat.

The plaintiffs claimed that the patty is just a 'restructured' product made of ground lower-grade pork ingredients. They said the mixture consists of pork shoulder, inter alia, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach, far from how McDonald's described the product: 'The McRib starts with seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and tangy pickles, all served on a toasted homestyle bun.'

'The name "McRib" is a deliberate sleight of hand. 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 believe that a product will include at least some meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat, which commands a premium price on the market,' part of the 45-page lawsuit reads.

McDonald's Denies Allegations

In response to the complaint, McDonald's denied that it uses scalded stomach, hearts, tripes, and others to make its McRib. The Chicago-headquartered fast-food chain insisted the ingredients of the patties are 100 per cent boneless pork, and the sandwich is spiced up with pickles and barbecue sauce, and onions only.

'This lawsuit distorts the facts and many of the claims are inaccurate. Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do – that's why we're committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu,' the company's spokesperson told The Independent. 'Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.'