Customers File A Class Action Lawsuit Against McDonald's Over The McRib Sandwich
Every fast food chain has an item that makes a big impact, and one of those is certainly the McRib from McDonald's, a sandwich that only appears on their menu for a limited time and has an almost cult-like following.
Debuting on their menu in the 1980s, the sandwich, which features a rib-shaped pork patty, barbecue sauce, onions, and pickles, still comes back every once in a while for a limited time, and fans tend to go crazy for it, eating as many as they can before it goes away again.
However, the sandwich's reputation might be changed, as a class action lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Illinois contains complaints from customers who feel the fast food chain is misleading their consumers regarding the McRib's ingredients, calling it a "deliberate sleight of hand," as it doesn't contain any pork rib meat.
Instead, the lawsuit reportedly wrote that, instead of rib meat, the sandwich patty is made from "lower-grade pork products such as, inter alia, pork shoulder, heart, tripe, and scalded stomach."
McDonald's Defends Itself Against The Allegations
Once the news of the lawsuit broke, the restaurant began responding, not only claiming that they were not falsely advertising their sandwich, but also that the lawsuit made false claims about the cuts of pork they use in the McRib patty.
"Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S.–there are no hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach used in the McRib patty as falsely alleged in this lawsuit," wrote the restaurant in a statement for Fortune. "We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for themselves."
They also accused those who filed the lawsuit of "distorting" facts and making "meritless" claims. We'll be curious to see if this lawsuit progresses any further or if it gets dismissed rather quickly. But either way, it wouldn't be surprising if some loyal customers were suddenly turned off by the famous sandwich.