Furious Lawsuit Challenges McDonald’s For False Menu Advertising
“The name ‘McRib’ is a deliberate sleight of hand,” the class-action lawsuit alleges.

PAUL J. RICHARDS/Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images
A new class-action lawsuit is calling out McDonald’s for misleading customers about the famous McRib. The lawsuit, filed in Illinois on December 23, asserts that McDonald’s has intentionally engaged in deceptive advertising tactics with the limited-time sandwich, pointing to its name and shape in particular. The four plaintiffs who jointly filed the suit say the sandwich is marketed to look like a rack of pork ribs, which McDonald’s does “despite knowing that the sandwich in fact does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat—indeed, none at all.” The suit targets the use of the word “rib” in particular, saying it hints at a more “premium” cut of meat. “The name ‘McRib’ is a deliberate sleight of hand,” the filing reads. “By including the word ‘Rib’ in the name of the sandwich, McDonald’s knowingly markets the sandwich in a way that deceives reasonable consumers,” the suit continues. The sandwich, which as of June 2025 cost $4.49, instead consists of a “reconstructed meat product,” the suit alleges. A rep for McDonald’s told Fast Company, “Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S.”
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