The Internet Is Once Again Floored Over How The McDonald's McRib Is Made

A rotating fan-favorite at McDonald's, the McRib has a long history of disappearing from the franchise's menu and returning in valor ... over and over and over again. According to Thrillist, the barbecue pork rib sandwich debuted in 1983 and subsequently earned the nickname "McFlop" due to its poor performance on the menu. Over the years, McDonald's has removed, replaced, and reinstated the sandwich dozens of times. There's no definite answer as to why it's such an unpredictable item on their menu, but many McDonald's customers are less concerned with its history of inconsistency and more concerned with how it's made.

Staying true to form, McDonald's just announced via Twitter that the McRib is returning for its "farewell tour" on October 31. But instead of garnering customer praise, the announcement has sparked controversy regarding the quality of the sandwich's ingredients. Pop culture commentator Mike Sington recently tweeted out a video of a McDonald's employee preparing a McRib, and he captioned it with one outrageous question: "Can this even be considered food?"

But this isn't the first time someone has been appalled by the McRib. Back in February, a TikTok went infamously viral for once again revealing how the McRib is made. Interestingly, many Twitter users had a markedly different reaction to the newest video.

The recent point-of-view video takes viewers through the seemingly simple process of assembling the McRib. However, the frozen ribs aren't exactly Michelin star in appearance. Before the cooking process begins, the brick-like meat is nearly grey in color. Once cooked, it looks more like grilled chicken than pork. After the employee removes the ribs from the grill, they're transferred to a container of rubbery barbecue sauce where they bake to their final form before being sandwiched between two buns. 

The original form of the McRib may not be particularly easy on the eyes. However, many customers were actually unbothered by the reveal. Among the many comments under the viral tweet, one user added, "Have you seriously never seen a frozen meat patty before?" Similarly, another person sarcastically added, "Were you under the impression they were actually smoking and de-boning ribs back there?" It is a fast-food joint after all.

Like McDonald's chicken nuggets, the McRib is made with restructured meat. Invented by military scientists in the '60s, restructured meat is made by combining various animal trimmings from various parts of the body to create a quick, ready-to-eat meal that saves time and money while also boasting the same flavor as what it's mimicking (in this case, pork ribs) (per Thrillist). And while science agrees that you should limit your fast-food intake, restructured meat is considered perfectly healthy (per National Library of Medicine). And seeing that the McRib is sold for under $5, you get what you pay for.