Class-Action Lawsuit Against McDonald’s Claims McRib Lacks Actual Pork Rib Meat
"The primary ingredient of the sandwich...is restructured pork."
Published Jan. 5 2026, 4:38 p.m. ET
The golden arches of McDonald's are shining a little less brightly today, following news of a class-action lawsuit filed against the iconic brand. No, it wasn't because a dangerous foreign object was found in a burger, nor because a customer got "insanely sick" after consuming a Big Mac.
Rather, McDonald's is being positioned at the center of a class-action lawsuit because there is a claim that the fan-favorite McRib doesn't actually contain a sufficient amount of pork rib meat.
Yes, it looks like a rack of ribs, smells like rib meat slathered in barbecue sauce, and to those who have eaten it, probably tastes like something resembling rib meat. But therein lies the issue: the lawsuit claims the beloved McRib doesn't actually contain enough rib meat to warrant the marketing claims surrounding the item.
Below, we describe the class-action lawsuit against McDonald's and why the McRib is once again under fire. Continue reading to learn more about this fascinating lawsuit.
McDonald's is the subject of a class-action lawsuit over false advertising of the McRib.
According to an article in the New York Post, a federal class-action lawsuit has been filed against McDonald's, claiming that millions of customers have been misled by false marketing that claims the McRib contains real pork rib meat.
"The primary ingredient of the sandwich...is restructured pork composed of parts like shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach, the complaint alleges," according to the report in the New York Post.
According to a detailed report in The Independent, the complaint against McDonald's is 45 pages long, and "the lawsuit asserts 16 legal claims, including fraud, breach of warranty, breach of contract, and violations of state consumer protection laws."
McDonald's denies the allegations, claiming they use 100 percent boneless pork.
Yet, a McDonald’s spokesperson told The Independent that "the McRib uses 100 percent boneless pork with BBQ sauce, onions, and pickles, and that no hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach are included."
“This lawsuit distorts the facts, and many of the claims are inaccurate," the spokesperson told The Independent. “Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100 percent 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.”
Nevertheless, as The Independent reports, the McRib costs more money than other core menu items, including the Big Mac, leading consumers to pay a "premium price" for a product they were led to believe contains actual pork rib meat.
Therefore, according to The Independent, "The suit alleges that McDonald’s knew or should have known that the sandwich’s branding and shape would mislead consumers, and that the company failed to disclose the absence of rib meat despite having exclusive knowledge of the product’s composition."