Four consumers in Chicago filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the popular McRib sandwich contains no actual rib meat, forcing a federal judge to rule that the litigation can proceed.
When U.S. District Judge April M. Perry issued her ruling on October 30, she allowed deception, fraud, and unjust enrichment claims to move forward against McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD). The plaintiffs originally filed the suit last December, asserting that the sandwich consists of cheaper pork parts such as shoulder, heart, and tripe pressed into a rib-like shape.
The company describes the offering as “seasoned boneless pork,” according to The New York Times, while listing its ingredients online. Legal counsel for the fast-food chain argued that the “Mc” prefix simply indicates brand origin rather than a guarantee of specific cuts.
Judge Perry rejected this defense. She found it entirely reasonable for a buyer to expect rib meat when purchasing an item explicitly named the McRib.
“The court is not persuaded by defendant’s many arguments that it would be unreasonable or fanciful to think the McRib contains rib meat,” she wrote in her ruling.
While the court dismissed five of the original claims, the surviving fraud and deception allegations now move toward discovery and potential trial phases in Chicago. The lawsuit demands unspecified monetary damages alongside an immediate halt to the current marketing strategy used for the seasonal menu item.
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