McDonald’s is pushing back against a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that the fast-food giant misled millions of customers by marketing its popular McRib sandwich as real pork rib. 

The 45-page complaint, filed on December 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claims that the product’s name and rib-shaped patty deceive reasonable consumers into believing the sandwich contains actual rib meat. 

The plaintiffs — Peter Le, Charles Lynch, Dorien Baker, and Derrick Wilson — claim that the McRib is instead made from restructured pork consisting of lower-quality cuts such as shoulder, heart, tripe, and even scalded stomach. McDonald’s denies using the latter three ingredients. 

The lawsuit asserts 16 legal claims, including fraud, breach of warranty, breach of contract, and violations of state consumer protection laws. It seeks to represent a nationwide class of consumers who purchased a McRib in the past four years, along with state-specific subclasses in California, New York, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.

“The name ‘McRib’ is a deliberate sleight of hand,” the lawsuit says. “McDonald’s willfully, falsely, and knowingly omitted various material facts regarding the quality and character of the McRib — namely, that despite its name and distinctive rib-like shape, it does not actually contain any actual pork rib meat. McDonald’s knew these facts would be material to reasonable consumers but still chose not to disclose them.”

But McDonald’s says the lawsuit “distorts the facts and the claims are meritless.”

“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 told The New York Sun. “Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. — there are no hearts, tripe or scalded stomach used in the McRib patty as falsely alleged in this lawsuit.”

The fast-food company also said, “We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them,” but did not respond when asked exactly where the McRib meat comes from on a pig. 

According to the complaint, the McRib is often priced higher than core menu items like the Big Mac, averaging $5.63 in December 2024 and reaching up to $7.89 in some locations. The plaintiffs argue that McDonald’s intentionally omitted ingredient facts from advertising to charge a premium price under false pretenses.

The McRib, introduced in 1981, has become a cult favorite due to its sporadic, limited-time availability. The lawsuit argues that this “cycle of sporadic availability creates a sense of urgency that discourages deep consumer scrutiny.”

The plaintiffs are seeking damages, restitution, and injunctive relief to prevent further alleged deceptive advertising. If the court certifies the class, consumers who purchased the McRib during the specified period may be eligible to join the lawsuit.