Does the McRib have any rib meat in it? Well, it's a fair question to ask - especially if you're not a longtime lover of the iconic sandwich.
McDonald's certainly makes it look like the sandwich is constructed of ribs, after all. The pork patty consists of several rib-like shapes conjoined together.
Well, a new class-action lawsuit alleges that McDonald's has specifically misled people in their advertising of the sandwich. As reported by KTLA 5, a federal judge has allowed the lawsuit to go ahead. We also reported on it when the filing was brought forward.
The lawsuit has been filed as "customers [were led to] believe they are purchasing a more expensive cut of pork", despite the fact that "despite its name and distinctive rib-like shape, the McRib contains no actual pork meat."
More specifically, the class action lawsuit claims that McDonald's McRib "contains ground pork products, including shoulder, heart, tripe, and stomach." For the company's sake, they've denied that claim of the lawsuit several times.
A spokesperson for the company previously explained that the McRib "is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the United States". Another statement said they specifically do not use "heart, tripe, or scalded stomach".
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McDonald's Say the Lawsuit is Unfounded
McDonald's have also made the claim that there is reasonable doubt that your average customer would even think there's rib meat in the sandwich at all. They've released a statement explaining that the main ingredient list of the sandwich itself was "pork", rather than specifically rib meat.
But that's something that has been questioned via surveys surrounding the subject. Per KTLA, "One survey found that 72% of respondents expected the McRib to contain rib meat... Another found that 67% considered rib meat important or very important when deciding whether to purchase the sandwich."
This comes as the beloved fast food sandwich is making yet another return to McDonald's menu. Despite the fact the original class action lawsuit was filed back in December 2025, the sandwich still enjoys a pretty crazy cult following. Especially because it's a limited time item that only occasionally comes back.
What do you think about all of this? No matter your opinion, one thing is clear - McDonald's might have a few saucy payouts to make if they're found guilty. But for now, the misleading advertising claims remain just that - claims.
