"The lawsuit, which was filed on December 23, 2025, in the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that McDonald's has purposefully been misleading customers with the name and shape of the McRib. The four plaintiffs who jointly filed the suit claim that the sandwich is advertised to resemble 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.""
"Ultimately, this lawsuit is all about marketing-and how we define deceptive marketing practices. Does a rib-shaped "seasoned boneless pork patty," as McDonald's describes it, a rib make? Or is the McRib a mere imitation of a true rib sandwich, masquerading as the real thing to allow McDonald's to jack up its prices? While most Americans probably have their own knee-jerk reaction to these questions, the official answer will be left up to the court. For now, here are the facts."
"The crux of the new lawsuit rests on proving whether the McRib can definitionally be called "rib"-and, as it turns out, that's easier said than done. According to the filing, McDonald's has cultivated a scarcity mindset around the McRib by only releasing it for a brief time each year since its 1981 debut, using annual anticipation to drive sales. Its authors suggest that the term "rib" refers to a more "premium" cut"
McDonald's McRib is a seasonal, polarizing boneless pork sandwich with a devoted fan base and critics of its form and ingredients. A class-action lawsuit filed December 23, 2025, in the Northern District of Illinois alleges McDonald's misleads customers by naming and shaping the sandwich to resemble pork ribs while containing no meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat. Four plaintiffs assert advertising presents the McRib as a rack of ribs despite the product being a seasoned boneless pork patty. The suit frames the issue as deceptive marketing, noting McDonald's cultivated scarcity since the sandwich's 1981 debut and suggesting 'rib' implies a premium cut.
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