Cyberattacks Disrupt Supermarket Refrigeration Across Europe

A growing number of supermarkets across Europe have reported sudden temperature increases in refrigeration and freezer systems following suspected cyberattacks. Incidents were reported in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden, prompting retailers and authorities to highlight the vulnerability of operational technology used in food retail. Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre is responding to multiple incidents, its head, John Billow, told Reuters. He said Sweden has many exposed operational-technology devices that need updating or patching. Retailers ICA and Coop reported overnight freezer temperature spikes, while Axfood said hackers affected freezers at a grocery-delivery distribution centre near Gothenburg. In Ireland, SuperValu said a cyber incident affected a particular refrigeration-system model at 13 stores. Reports also described incidents at Ahold Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg, and at five Spar shops in Belgium. Estonia’s technology supplier Kitman Coldtech said at least one supermarket chain was affected. Some systems were reportedly switched into defrost mode or set to 50 degrees Celsius. The incidents follow a major attack on hundreds of French supermarkets that spoiled food and caused fires at several stores. Neither the latest incidents nor the French attack has been claimed by anyone. The article says the events have intensified concerns about hybrid warfare amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Iran-United States war; European states have blamed Moscow for other infrastructure incidents, while Russia denies involvement in sabotage or hybrid warfare. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen called the attacks a deliberate effort to disrupt EU food supplies and public confidence. The European Commission warned that cyberattacks can affect businesses and people’s daily lives, and urged stronger cybersecurity. Belgium’s cybersecurity centre described the increasing number of incidents, including those involving targeted AI use, as an evolving trend, while cautioning that those responsible may never be identified.

Dozens of supermarkets in seven European countries have been affected by a suspected cyber-attack on refrigeration systems. Around 40 Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg were hit, alongside smaller numbers of stores in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland. The incident reportedly caused refrigerator and freezer evaporators to switch into defrost mode, raising temperatures and spoiling food. Sabcobel, a Belgian manufacturer that operates refrigeration systems for Delhaize, said the incident appeared to use the same method as an attack on hundreds of French supermarkets in early October. Its CEO, Stephan Moelans, said the company had been disconnecting affected units and that physical modifications—not software updates alone—were needed to address the vulnerability. The identity of those behind the attack is unknown. Some freezer temperatures reportedly rose as high as 50C. In Belgium, one Delhaize store estimated it had lost €100,000 worth of produce; Carrefour and Colruyt Group also reported affected shops, while Carrefour said it had taken steps to keep all stores open. In Sweden, a small number of ICA stores and seven Coop stores were affected, with Coop saying the situation was contained. Stores in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Estonia also reported refrigeration problems. The Belgian and Swedish national cyber-security agencies are monitoring the incident, and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre is working with international partners and industry to understand it. No UK incidents had been reported. The story describes a cross-border disruption to supermarket refrigeration, food losses and ongoing investigations, while noting that many European supermarkets rely on internet-connected systems for remote maintenance and troubleshooting.

Grocery chains in Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden reported unexpected rises in refrigerator and freezer temperatures on Monday, causing food losses and renewing concerns that cyberattacks are targeting connected food-retail infrastructure. Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt said an overnight IT incident affected cooling systems in stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. Swedish chains ICA and Coop also reported problems. Although neither Swedish chain initially confirmed a cyberattack, an ICA store in Sjöbo said on Facebook that its refrigeration units had been hacked. Coop reported six affected stores out of about 800, while ICA described the number of affected outlets as limited. The reports follow incidents less than three weeks earlier in France, where E. Leclerc, Intermarché and Cooperative U said cyberattacks caused refrigeration temperatures to surge in hundreds of stores, in some cases reaching 122 degrees Fahrenheit. French prosecutors confirmed an attack that affected major chains and caused fires when equipment overheated. The refrigeration control systems targeted in France were made by Danish manufacturer Danfoss. Ahold Delhaize had reported suspicious activity in its infrastructure to Dutch police in October, according to Reuters. Its spokesperson said the chain noticed rising temperatures on Monday. The CEO of Sabcobel, a Belgian company operating refrigeration systems used by Delhaize and other retailers, blamed a cyberattack, saying units’ evaporators had been switched into defrost mode. Sabcobel technicians worked overnight to disconnect affected units from the network. The CEO said efforts to protect customers’ systems were underway, but many units would need physical modifications and investment. No one has claimed responsibility for the European grocery-store attacks. EU food and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen said the incidents show that food security requires greater attention and that exploiting vulnerabilities in essential, networked systems is a new reality. Cooperative U CEO Dominique Schelcher described the targeting of equipment needed to preserve fresh food and maintain the food supply as extremely serious and unprecedented.

Supermarkets in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Sweden reported problems with freezer systems on Monday in what authorities and businesses suspect was a coordinated cyberattack. The incidents resemble an attack in France three weeks earlier, when unidentified actors allegedly took remote control of refrigeration systems and set them to defrost, spoiling food. In Sweden, ICA and Coop said a limited number of stores were affected. Coop reported that six of its roughly 800 Swedish stores had refrigeration equipment that either stopped working or was partially impaired, while noting it had not received confirmation that the incident was a cyberattack. Dutch chain Ahold Delhaize reported an overnight IT incident affecting freezers in stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. Ireland’s RTÉ reported 13 affected supermarkets. Carrefour, Intermarché and Spar were also among the chains targeted; Carrefour Belgium said it considered the cause to be a cyberattack. Belgian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation. The incidents led to spoiled products being discarded and renewed concerns about food security. Sweden’s ICA Kvantum store in Sjöbo said temperatures in its systems had been remotely raised to 50 degrees Celsius. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen called the attacks a deliberate attempt to disrupt European food supplies, while stressing that food security was not currently at risk. The European Commission said the events demonstrated how cyberattacks can disrupt services, harm businesses and affect people’s daily lives. No one has claimed responsibility. Sweden’s National Cybersecurity Center is investigating. Its head, John Billow, said authorities had recently identified numerous exposed operational technology devices in Sweden that needed updates or patches. Such devices include refrigerators, heating systems, security cameras and alarm networks. As more equipment is remotely monitored and controlled, vulnerabilities in these systems may create opportunities for cybercriminals.

A suspected cyberattack targeting supermarket refrigeration systems has affected stores in several European countries, leaving some fridges and freezers at dangerously high temperatures. The reported impact spans Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia, Luxembourg and Ireland. Food may have spoiled, with the value of potentially affected stock estimated at hundreds of thousands of euros, and some stores have closed off their refrigeration units. The incident appears to have occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday. In Belgium, reports say dozens of stores operated by Delhaize, Carrefour and Intermarché were affected, as was an IKEA store near Mons. Belgium’s Centre for Cybersecurity confirmed that it knew of an incident targeting supermarket refrigeration systems, but did not provide further details. The article describes the scope and immediate consequences of the reported disruption, while noting that the cause is suspected to be a cyberattack and that details remain limited. It does not identify those responsible or explain how the refrigeration systems were compromised.

Supermarkets and grocery stores in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland and Estonia reported sudden temperature increases in refrigerators and freezers early Monday, November 2, 2026. Several retailers and officials described the disruptions as cyberattacks or said network interference was being investigated. The incidents follow a similar attack in France in October, when hackers reportedly took control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets, causing temperatures to rise as high as 50°C, food losses and fires. In Belgium and Luxembourg, Ahold Delhaize and Colruyt reported overnight IT incidents affecting refrigeration systems. Belgian refrigeration company Sabcobel’s CEO said units connected to Delhaize had been switched into defrost mode. Carrefour Belgium said around 15 stores were affected, and Ikea Belgium reported an incident at its Mons store. Colruyt said five shops were affected. The European Union’s agriculture and food commissioner called the incidents a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply and undermine public confidence, while noting that food security was not currently at risk. He said the food waste and business impacts were real. Swedish authorities said they were working on multiple incidents. ICA and Coop reported affected stores, including one ICA shop where refrigeration temperatures allegedly reached 50°C. Sweden’s national cybersecurity centre has warned that many operational technology devices remain exposed and need updates or security patches. In Finland, Kesko detected irregular temperatures in several smaller stores and said it had not ruled out network interference. Finnish cybersecurity officials said the spread beyond France had been anticipated, given the growing exploitation of vulnerabilities. Estonia’s public broadcaster reported a supermarket attack that also raised refrigeration temperatures to 50°C; a local refrigeration industry figure said the equipment resembled older units targeted in France. Authorities have not identified who was behind the earlier attacks, and no one has claimed responsibility. The article places the incidents in the context of growing remote connectivity in formerly mechanical systems, including refrigeration, heating, cameras and alarms, which can create opportunities for cybercriminals.

Supermarkets in Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia reported problems with refrigeration and freezer systems on Monday that appeared to be caused by cyberattacks. Some stores had to discard food after temperatures rose. The incidents followed an attack in France last month, when attackers remotely took control of refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets and independent stores, causing temperatures to soar. In Sweden, ICA Group said a limited number of stores were affected overnight. Its ICA Kvantum branch in Sjöbo said its fridges and freezers had been hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), and that it was disposing of affected products. Coop reported refrigeration problems at six stores in central Sweden. Belgian supermarket operator Delhaize said an IT incident affected refrigeration at several dozen stores, mostly in Belgium and a few in neighboring Luxembourg. It said the affected stores temporarily had a reduced selection of fresh and frozen products, while distribution centers and deliveries continued normally. Carrefour said an attack on refrigeration installations had an extremely limited impact, affecting 15 of its more than 700 Belgian stores. In Estonia, Kitman Coldtech CEO Jann Mutso said a client’s refrigeration-control computer had been accessed and its temperature raised to 50 degrees Celsius. He declined to identify the store but said the incident was addressed within minutes and caused no significant damage. The Selver chain said one of its outlets was affected. The article notes that the French attacks appeared to target older systems.

Supermarkets in several European countries reported suspected cyber incidents that disrupted the temperature controls of refrigerators and freezers on Monday, November 2. Incidents were reported in Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Estonia, following a more extensive attack in France the previous month. In Belgium, Ahold Delhaize, Carrefour and Spar reported refrigeration problems. Carrefour said 15 of its 700 outlets were affected, while Spar reported problems in about five stores. Ahold Delhaize confirmed an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems in some Delhaize shops overnight, but the article does not establish who was responsible or provide a confirmed cause. In Ireland, Musgrave Group said refrigeration systems at 13 SuperValu locations had been affected. The stores removed chilled and frozen products from sale as a precaution. In Sweden, several ICA and Coop supermarkets experienced elevated freezer temperatures. One ICA store in Sjöbo reported that its freezer temperature had reached 50C and said it suspected a hack. ICA acknowledged an overnight incident affecting a limited number of stores but did not confirm that it was a cyber attack. Coop confirmed that seven of its stores had been hacked. In Finland, Kesko reported temperature anomalies in equipment at a few smaller K-food grocery stores. The company began investigating after automated alerts and checks by staff, and said an IT-related incident had not been ruled out. It described the problem as limited in scope, affecting stores whose equipment was outside Kesko’s centralised safeguards. Estonian supermarkets were also reportedly affected. The incidents have heightened concern following last month’s attack in France, where about 700 stores experienced refrigeration failures and had to discard spoiled food. Intermarché, Coopérative U and Carrefour were among the affected chains; no group publicly claimed responsibility. The article also notes a separate recent issue in the Netherlands, where Ahold Delhaize stores experienced days of service outages and empty shelves, and a US Pentagon investigation into freezer failures at military facilities.

A suspected cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration systems disrupted stores in Belgium, Sweden, Ireland and Estonia, with retailers reporting that hackers remotely changed fridge and freezer temperatures. The resulting spoilage forced stores to discard food and temporarily close some outlets. The article reports that 13 SuperValu stores in Ireland, around 40 Delhaize outlets and 15 Carrefour stores in Belgium, seven Coop stores in Sweden, and several ICA supermarkets were affected. In Belgium, one Delhaize branch reportedly discarded food worth about €100,000 after refrigeration units were set as high as 70°C. The full financial impact has not been calculated, but losses could reach millions of euros. Estonia’s affected Selver store detected the intrusion within minutes and reported no product damage. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen called the attacks a deliberate attempt to disrupt the EU food supply and undermine consumer confidence. He said food security was not currently at risk, though the waste and business impact were real. Retailers and refrigeration companies said they had taken steps to keep operations running or contain the incidents. Luxembourg’s Delhaize suspended ordering systems as a precaution. The latest incidents appear to resemble a cyberattack on French Intermarché and Coopérative U supermarkets on October 12, which also targeted refrigeration systems and spoiled food. Sabcobel chief executive Stephan Moelans said the Belgian attacks seemed to use the same mechanism as the French incident. He cautioned that software updates alone would not address the vulnerability and that physical modifications might also be necessary. Securing the internet connection used to manage refrigeration was presented as one practical measure. The identity of those responsible remains unknown, while cybersecurity agencies in Belgium and Sweden are monitoring the situation.