McDonald’s is facing a class-action lawsuit over allegations that the name and appearance of its McRib sandwich mislead customers into believing it contains pork rib meat. A federal judge has ruled that the lawsuit can proceed.
Why McDonald’s is Facing a Lawsuit Over the McRib
In December 2025, four customers filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint claims that McDonald’s intentionally designs the McRib patty to resemble a rack of ribs. According to the lawsuit, “Despite its name and distinctive shape—its meat patty has been deliberately crafted to resemble a rack of pork ribs—the McRib does not contain any actual pork rib meat at all.”
According to the lawsuit, the sandwich contains less costly pork products, such as pork shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach. Customers reportedly paid a premium believing they were buying rib meat. McDonald’s ingredient list says the patty contains pork, water, salt, dextrose, and rosemary extract but doesn’t specifically mention rib meat.
On October 30, U.S. District Judge April Perry allowed consumer-deception, fraud, and unjust-enrichment claims to proceed. She stated it was premature to assert that consumers wouldn’t think the McRib contains rib meat. The ruling does not find McDonald’s liable; plaintiffs must present supporting evidence.
“This 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,” said McDonald’s USA.
McDonald’s insists its McRib sandwich comprises 100% pork sourced from U.S. suppliers. They deny the use of hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach in the McRib patty.
Chicken McNugget Burn Case
Another case involved McDonald’s food, where a jury awarded $800,000 to a girl burned by a hot Chicken McNugget. Philana Holmes had purchased Chicken McNuggets for her daughter from a drive-thru in Tamarac, Florida, on August 21, 2019. One nugget got trapped against the child’s thigh, causing a burn. The parents sued McDonald’s USA and franchisee Upchurch Foods.
In May 2023, jurors found Upchurch Foods negligent for failing to provide reasonable instructions or warnings about foreseeable risks. While McDonald’s USA wasn’t deemed negligent, jurors noted a lack of adequate instructions or warnings.
The McDonald’s Hot-Coffee Case
Similar to the nugget lawsuit, the famous coffee case involved Stella Liebeck, who was burned after spilling McDonald’s coffee in 1992. Liebeck, then 79 years old, suffered severe burns requiring hospitalization. A jury in 1994 found McDonald’s liable, awarding $160,000 in compensatory damages and reducing punitive damages from $2.7 million to $480,000. The case ended in a confidential settlement.
Beef Flavoring in McDonald’s French Fries
McDonald’s also faced legal scrutiny over the beef flavoring used in its french fries and potato products. In 1990, McDonald’s announced it would stop using beef fat in its U.S. restaurants and switch to vegetable oil, but beef flavoring remained during production.
This led to lawsuits from vegetarian and Hindu customers who felt misled. Hindus, who avoid eating beef for religious reasons, were significantly affected. In 2002, McDonald’s settled the litigation for $10 million and issued an apology, improving disclosure practices.
The McRib case is still in early stages, unlike the nugget case, which has reached a jury, or the fries and coffee disputes, which resulted in settlements. The ruling confirms that the lawsuit’s core allegations are enough to move forward, requiring plaintiffs to demonstrate that the McRib’s presentation misleads consumers.