Fridges hacked, food spoiled: Cyberattack disrupts supermarkets across Europe

A suspected cyberattack targeted computer systems controlling supermarket refrigeration. Attackers raised temperatures in fridges and freezers, disrupting stores and causing food to spoil. The incident matters because refrigeration protects food across the retail supply chain, so a digital intrusion created physical waste and business losses.

In Belgium, around 40 Delhaize outlets and 15 Carrefour stores reported problems. One Delhaize branch estimated €100,000 in discarded food after units reportedly reached 70°C. In Sweden, an ICA store said its equipment was set to 50°C, while seven Coop stores were affected. Thirteen SuperValu stores in Ireland were also hit. In Estonia, one Selver freezer was changed to 50°C above zero, but the attack was detected quickly.

The identity of those responsible remains unclear. Belgium’s and Sweden’s cybersecurity agencies were monitoring the incident. Retailers took immediate measures to keep stores operating, but affected businesses faced significant waste. The article also links the attack to a similar incident in French supermarkets on October 12.

Remotely controlled refrigeration systems are fridges and freezers managed through computer networks rather than only by someone standing beside the equipment. Operators can monitor temperatures and change settings remotely. This supports supermarket operations, but it also creates a digital route to physical equipment. If an unauthorised person gains access, they can alter the settings.

The attack showed the danger clearly. A computer controlling refrigeration at an Estonian Selver store was accessed, and a freezer was set to 50°C above zero. An ICA supermarket in Sweden reported fridges and freezers set to 50°C. In Belgium, some units reportedly reached 70°C. These temperatures were high enough to cause food to spoil, forcing retailers to discard it.

The article does not describe every technical step used by the attackers. It reports that Belgian installer Sabcobel saw a mechanism resembling the one used against French supermarkets in October. Secure internet connections and physical equipment changes were identified as protections, suggesting both software and hardware security matter.

The incident affected supermarkets in four countries named in the question: Belgium, Estonia, Sweden and Ireland. The article gives exact figures for some chains but not all locations. Belgium reported around 40 Delhaize outlets and 15 Carrefour stores. Ireland reported 13 SuperValu stores. Sweden reported seven Coop stores, plus several ICA supermarkets. Estonia identified one Selver supermarket.

Adding only the specifically counted locations gives at least 76 stores: 55 in Belgium, 13 in Ireland, seven Coop stores in Sweden and one Selver store in Estonia. The total is higher because “several” ICA stores were also affected, and some reports do not provide exact numbers. Luxembourg suspended ordering systems as a precaution, but the article does not count it as an affected store.

One Belgian Delhaize branch estimated €100,000 in discarded food. The article says total losses across affected stores could run into millions of euros, although no consolidated estimate had been released. Waste, temporary closures and operational disruption added to the financial impact.

Food stored in fridges and freezers depends on controlled temperatures. When those temperatures rise sharply, perishable products can deteriorate. Retailers therefore cannot simply put the goods back on shelves after an unexplained refrigeration failure. The article describes the products as spoiled and says stores had to discard large quantities.

The temperature changes were extreme. Some Belgian refrigeration units were reportedly set as high as 70°C, and one Swedish ICA store said its fridges and freezers reached 50°C. A Delhaize branch estimated that about €100,000 worth of food had to be thrown away. In Estonia, the attack was detected within minutes, so the Selver store reported no product damage.

The article does not give a detailed food-safety testing procedure or a precise time limit for each product. It does show the practical consequence: retailers treated the affected food as unsellable rather than risk offering spoiled products. The losses demonstrate how a digital temperature change can quickly become a physical food-waste problem.

A supermarket chain’s central network can provide shared monitoring, security controls and coordinated responses. Stores operating outside that network may be managed through different systems or connections. In general cybersecurity practice, less centralised equipment can be harder to oversee consistently. That can leave gaps in visibility or protection, although the article does not prove that any single gap caused this incident.

ICA said the refrigeration incident affected a small number of stores operating outside the chain’s central network. The company was helping those stores manage the situation. This detail connects the affected equipment to a less central operating arrangement, while the article separately reports that an attacker accessed a computer controlling refrigeration at an Estonian Selver store.

The broader lesson is that refrigeration equipment needs security wherever it operates. Sabcobel’s chief executive said software updates alone would not be enough and that physical modifications were also required. Central oversight may help coordinate protection, but stores and equipment outside it still need secure connections, updates and safeguards.

The incident shows that refrigeration security depends on both digital and physical protection. A system connected through an insecure route can allow an attacker to change temperatures remotely. A secure internet connection makes that route harder to abuse. Physical changes can also protect equipment where software alone cannot eliminate the underlying weakness.

Belgian installer Sabcobel said the latest attack appeared to use the same mechanism as the October attack on French supermarkets. Its chief executive, Stephan Moelans, said companies had been working on protection since then. He also warned that a software update alone would not be sufficient. Physical modifications to the systems were needed as well.

Moelans described managing fridges over a secure internet connection as the simplest solution. Many Sabcobel customers reportedly adopted that arrangement after the French attack. The article does not specify the exact hardware changes or security technologies involved. It does show that layered protection is needed, because connected refrigeration systems can turn a cyber vulnerability into spoiled food and financial losses.

Refrigeration is a crucial link between food delivery and sale. It keeps products in suitable conditions while stores operate. Although customers may not view fridges and freezers as critical infrastructure, a failure can make food unsellable, close outlets temporarily and create large costs. The incident also showed that digital systems controlling ordinary equipment can have wider consequences.

One Swedish ICA store temporarily closed after its fridges and freezers were hacked. A Belgian Delhaize branch estimated €100,000 in discarded food after units reportedly reached 70°C. Thirteen SuperValu stores in Ireland were affected, and seven Coop stores in Sweden reported problems. These examples connect refrigeration directly to retail continuity and food waste.

European agriculture and food commissioner Christophe Hansen said food security was not currently at risk, but called the waste and business impact real. The attacks also raised concerns about consumer confidence. National cybersecurity agencies were monitoring the incident, while retailers and refrigeration companies worked on technical and physical protections.