McDonald’s is being grilled in court over one of its most iconic menu items — the McRib. A new federal class-action lawsuit accuses the fast-food giant of misleading millions of customers by marketing the McRib as if it contains actual rib meat, when in reality, it allegedly doesn’t.
According to the 45-page complaint filed December 23 in Illinois federal court, plaintiffs say the McRib’s name and distinctive rib-shaped patty trick customers into believing they’re eating something they’re not — and haven’t been for years.
Instead of ribs, the lawsuit claims the patty is made from a mix of less-appetizing pork parts like shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach. That’s right — allegedly no rib meat at all.
McDonald’s says the accusations are bogus. In a statement, the company insists the McRib is made with “100% boneless pork” and does not contain organ meats.
“Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100 percent pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S.,” a spokesperson said. “We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.”
The plaintiffs — Peter Le, Charles Lynch, Dorien Baker, and Derrick Wilson — are going after the fast food giant for fraud, false advertising, and violations of consumer protection laws. They’re pushing for the lawsuit to cover anyone in the U.S. who bought a McRib in the past four years.
They claim McDonald’s purposely omitted the real ingredients from its menus and marketing while cashing in on limited-time hype. And according to the lawsuit, the McRib often costs more than a Big Mac, averaging $5.63 — with some locations charging nearly $8.
If the court approves the class action, anyone who purchased a McRib since 2021 could be eligible for compensation. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, restitution, and for McDonald’s to stop using the “McRib” name unless it includes actual rib meat.
McRibgate is officially on.
—
Source: The Independent
Discover more from Next Gen News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Once again, marketing did not do its job. They needed to clear this with legal before they moved forward on this campaign. I wondered how they could come up with the tons of rib meat they would need for this product. I guess a campaign based on “rib flavored beef” would not have sold too well.