5 Reasons Why McDonald's Orange Juice Has A Shocking Surcharge (And The Lawsuit Behind It)

The "McDonald's orange juice surcharge" is more than just a minor menu annoyance; it's a hot-button issue that has escalated into a major legal battle and highlights a global agricultural crisis. As of December 15, 2025, the controversy centers on allegations that the fast-food giant is misleading customers by advertising breakfast combo meals as having a fixed price, only to add an "unnecessary surcharge" when a customer selects orange juice instead of another beverage option like coffee or a soft drink. This practice has led to a recent class action lawsuit, forcing McDonald's to defend its breakfast pricing strategy in court.

The core of the problem stems from the rapidly rising cost of orange juice concentrate, which has seen its price "skyrocket" over the past two years due to devastating crop diseases and climate change. Customers are left wondering why a simple breakfast drink can cost nearly as much as the meal itself, and the answer involves everything from global supply chain failures to alleged deceptive marketing practices at the Golden Arches. This article breaks down the five critical reasons behind the shocking surcharge and the current status of the legal challenge.

The Global Crisis: Why Orange Juice Prices Are Skyrocketing

To understand the surcharge, one must first understand the devastating state of the global orange market. The price increase isn't a localized issue; it's a worldwide phenomenon driven by factors largely outside of McDonald's control. This external pressure is the primary reason why the cost of offering orange juice has become prohibitive for the chain.

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1. The Scourge of Citrus Greening Disease

The single biggest driver of the orange juice price surge is a bacterial disease known as Huanglongbing, or "citrus greening." This disease is spread by a tiny insect called the Asian citrus psyllid and is lethal to citrus trees, causing fruit to remain green, misshapen, and bitter, ultimately killing the tree. Florida, a major global supplier of oranges, has been particularly hard hit, with the disease wiping out significant portions of its crop yield, leading to an unprecedented shortage of oranges available for concentrate.

2. Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events

Compounding the disease problem are severe weather events linked to climate change. Recent years have seen major orange-producing regions, including Brazil, which is another massive source of orange juice concentrate, suffer from droughts and hurricanes. These climate shocks have drastically reduced harvest sizes and further tightened the global supply, putting massive upward pressure on commodity prices for orange juice concentrate—the base ingredient for McDonald's OJ.

This perfect storm of agricultural disaster means that the raw material McDonald's uses is significantly more expensive than it was just a few years ago. The surcharge, from the company's perspective, is a necessary measure to offset these dramatically increased input costs. Other fast-food chains, such as Mos Burger, have also been forced to increase the price of their orange juice due to the shortage.

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The Legal Battle: Is McDonald's Surcharge Deceptive?

While the high cost of oranges explains the price, it doesn't excuse the alleged manner in which the surcharge is applied. This is the crux of the class action lawsuit that has brought the issue to the public's attention.

3. The Class Action Lawsuit Over "False Advertising"

McDonald's is currently facing a class action lawsuit filed by consumers who allege the company engages in deceptive marketing practices. The lawsuit claims that McDonald's advertises its breakfast combo meals—such as the Sausage McMuffin with Egg Meal or the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Meal—with a fixed price, implying that the beverage choice is included.

However, when customers substitute the standard drink (often coffee or a soft drink) for orange juice, they are hit with an "unnecessary surcharge" at the register. Plaintiffs argue that if they had been aware of this hidden fee, they would have either chosen a different drink or opted for a smaller size of orange juice, or not purchased it at all. This legal challenge focuses not on the price itself, but on the lack of transparent pricing and the alleged misleading nature of the menu advertising.

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McDonald's Pricing Strategy and Menu Affordability

The orange juice controversy is particularly jarring because it happens at a time when McDonald's is actively trying to promote affordability and value to combat "menu fatigue" and high fast-food prices.

4. The Conflict with New Value Meals

In late 2024 and early 2025, McDonald's made a concerted effort to win back budget-conscious customers by rolling out new, price-pointed Extra Value Meals and combo deals. These initiatives included offering meals like the $5 Sausage McMuffin with Egg meal and $8 10-piece Chicken McNuggets meals. The goal is to provide a clear, affordable price point for popular items.

The orange juice surcharge directly contradicts this affordability push. Customers who feel they are being "sneakily upcharged" for a standard breakfast beverage are likely to view the entire menu, including the new value offerings, with suspicion. The perception of value is destroyed when a hidden fee for a common item is applied, regardless of the price of the main meal.

5. Supply Chain Substitutions and Quality Concerns

The severity of the orange shortage has led to another complication: some McDonald's locations have had to temporarily switch to alternative beverages. In some regions, customers have reported that the chain is no longer selling traditional orange juice but is instead offering a substitute like orange cordial. The company has acknowledged "delays in our regular supply of orange juice" and confirmed a temporary switch to an "equally refreshing alternative."

Crucially, reports indicate that this substitute beverage is sometimes being sold for the same high price as the original orange juice, further fueling customer frustration. This substitution raises questions about product quality and transparency, adding another layer to the surcharge debate. The combination of a high price, a hidden fee, and a potential reduction in quality creates a triple threat to consumer trust.

What This Means for McDonald's Customers

The McDonald's orange juice surcharge is a complex issue rooted in a global agricultural crisis but amplified by alleged corporate pricing opacity. For consumers, the key takeaway is the need for vigilance when ordering breakfast combos.

Transparency is Key: The outcome of the class action lawsuit will likely force McDonald's to be more explicit about which beverages are included in fixed-price meals and which ones incur an additional fee. Until then, customers should always confirm the final price when substituting orange juice for another drink option.

The Future of OJ: With citrus greening continuing to decimate crops, the high cost of orange juice is unlikely to drop significantly in the near future. This means that premium pricing for orange juice at fast-food restaurants, whether as a direct menu price or a surcharge, is likely here to stay. The controversy at McDonald's simply serves as a high-profile example of the wider economic impact of a global supply chain under stress.

Ultimately, the "unnecessary surcharge" is a battleground where global commodity prices meet consumer expectations. While McDonald's attempts to drive affordability with value meals, the high cost of a single, small cup of orange juice remains a stark reminder of the hidden pressures on the fast-food industry.