McDonald’s to remove McRib from permanent menus in Germany and Luxembourg

McDonald’s has announced that the McRib will be removed from its permanent menu in Germany and Luxembourg, effective October 27. The decision follows a strategy of regular menu updates and rotating promotional products. While the original sandwich is being phased out, the company will temporarily introduce the ‘McRib Sweet Heat,’ a version featuring a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

The removal of the pork-based sandwich has sparked political controversy in Germany. Frank Grobe, a parliamentary director for the AfD party in Hesse, suggested the change might be linked to employees from the ‘Orient’ refusing to handle pork, framing the menu shift as a sign of declining Western food culture.

Historically, the McRib was developed by Luxembourgish chef René Arend, who served as the chain’s first executive chef. The sandwich was originally created in the United States as a pork-based alternative during a chicken production shortage caused by a farming crisis.