Overview
- McDonald’s Deutschland removed the McRib from its standard menu on 27 October, ending a continuous run that began in 1989.
- The company told reporters it is regularly reshaping menus toward rotating limited-time products and cited kitchen space limits while denying links to new ingredient rules or a move away from pork.
- Fans launched multiple petitions that together have gathered tens of thousands of signatures, and social-media posts showed hoarding, resale at high prices, and public complaints.
- McDonald’s has offered a limited McRib Sweet Heat variant using the same pork patty with a sweet-spicy chili sauce and has run nostalgia promotions returning other former items for short periods.
- Germany and Luxembourg were rare markets where the McRib was permanent, so the change highlights McDonald’s broader ‘NEXT’ strategy and leaves open the possibility of future temporary returns rather than a permanent ban.