Hannaford Sued Over Sustainability Claims on Salmon Sold in Stores

Scarborough-based grocer Hannaford and its Dutch parent, Ahold Delhaize, were named on Oct. 13, 2026, in a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming that sustainability promises posted in the chain's seafood departments are false, the Sun Journal reported.

The 76-page complaint was filed in federal district court in upstate New York and centers on salmon products. It argues that store signage telling shoppers the seafood is traceable and sustainably harvested does not match how much of the salmon is actually produced, pointing to industrial fish farming and citing mass mortality events and farming in sensitive or protected waters, particularly in Chile. Most of the salmon at issue is sourced overseas, although some comes from Maine and other parts of the United States, according to the complaint, which includes photographs of in-store signs and the products.

The lead plaintiff is Kathleen Boyle of Queensbury, New York, who says she bought the products at New York Hannaford stores during 2025 and 2026 on the belief they met the sustainability claims. The proposed class covers New York buyers of the products within the statute of limitations, which the complaint estimates at thousands of people.

A Hannaford spokesperson said on Oct. 14, 2026, that the company does not discuss pending litigation and that neither Hannaford nor Ahold Delhaize had received the complaint.

This story was first reported by Sun Journal.