Are There Mystery Ingredients In McDonald's McRib? Here's What's Actually In It

If you get as psyched as I do every time you hear that the cult classic McRib sandwich is back on the menu at McDonald's, you might have found yourself wondering what exactly is in the rib-shaped patty that you bite into with glee every chance you get (there are actually two countries that serve the McRib year-round, FYI). McDonald's doesn't specify rib meat as an ingredient in that absolutely delicious barbecue sauce-covered patty — so what's in there? According to the ingredients list for the McRib sandwich on the McDonald's website, the patty in a McRib sandwich is made with "pork, water, salt, dextrose, and rosemary extract." Some have alleged that McDonald's is misleading consumers by calling the sandwich a McRib, as the fast-food giant has faced accusations that the sandwich doesn't actually contain rib meat.

While it's clear that the patty in the sandwich is made from pork — albeit designed to look like a little rack of pork ribs — a different cut of pork is actually used to make the sandwich. In 2013, McDonald's told ABC News it uses pork shoulder to make the McRib, and in 2014, McDonald's released a video showing the start-to-finish process of making the McRib. A cut of boneless pork picnic — pork that comes from the shoulder of a pig — is used. Let's take a look at the other components of the sandwich to find out what you're eating when you bite into a McRib.

The ingredients list for the McRib sandwich bun is pretty straightforward, with flour, water, sugar, and yeast listed as the first four ingredients. When it comes to the delightfully sweet, tangy McRib sauce, however, things get a little interesting. High-fructose corn syrup is the second ingredient, which makes sense given the blast of sweetness you get when you bite into the sandwich. The sauce also contains modified food starch, a term used to describe a category of thickeners typically made from wheat, potatoes, or corn. "Spices" are also listed on the ingredient list without any further specification (spices aren't technically the same thing as seasonings, by the way). We're not sure exactly what this blend contains, as onion powder, garlic powder, and chili pepper are all listed later in the ingredient list, which leads us to believe these standard seasonings aren't a part of the earlier-listed "spices" ingredient.

Do we know exactly what's in a McRib? No. Is it possible that we'll eventually find out? Maybe. Some consumers have pressed McDonald's to be more forthcoming about what's actually in the sandwich, alleging that the pork blend used to make the patty could include heart or tripe (stomach lining). In an email to Newsweek, McDonald's said that the McRib doesn't contain these ingredients. "We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them," the email read. For now, it seems that a few of the ingredients — including the exact makeup of the pork patty — will remain a mystery, but that probably won't stop the McRib fans from lining up for the sandwich every time it makes a comeback.