McDonald's must face McRib lawsuit
The gist
A Chicago federal judge rejected McDonald's bid to fully dismiss a lawsuit claiming the McRib misleads buyers about rib meat.
The ruling keeps fraud claims alive and tests how far product names can stretch.
How it unfolded
- 1981McDonald's launched the McRib; it has been sold periodically and re-added and removed several times since.
- Dec 2025Four consumers filed a lawsuit against McDonald's in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging the McRib's name, appearance and marketing mislead customers into believing it contains pork rib meat.
- Oct 30, 2026Judge April Perry rejected McDonald's bid to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety, allowing consumer deception, fraud and unjust enrichment claims to proceed while dismissing five other claims without prejudice.