BRUSSELS, Belgium / EuroWire.IO / – Supermarkets in six European countries were hit on Monday, November 2, by a new wave of apparent cyberattacks on fridges and freezers. The incidents caused temperature spikes and spoiled food at stores in Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Estonia. They follow a similar attack in France last month. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not said who could be behind the incidents.
In Belgium, Ahold Delhaize said an IT incident had affected refrigeration systems in several dozen stores. Carrefour Belgium said about 15 of its more than 700 stores were affected, and Colruyt reported problems at around five Spar shops. An IKEA store in Mons was also hit. Stephan Moelans, chief executive of refrigeration company Sabcobel, told the Belga news agency that the units’ evaporators had been switched to defrost mode.
Moelans said the attackers used the same vulnerability exploited in France, according to BleepingComputer. He added that a simple software update was not enough because the refrigerators also needed physical modifications. In the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize told NBC News it was aware of an IT incident affecting refrigeration systems in a number of its stores. The company said its teams were working hard to fully assess the situation.
Stores in Sweden and Ireland affected
In Sweden, ICA stores in Stockholm and Sjöbo reported that their freezers had been set to 50°C. Coop said six stores were affected, according to Aftonbladet, while Axfood reported that freezers at a distribution centre near Gothenburg had been hacked. In Ireland, Musgrave said 13 of its 223 SuperValu stores were affected, and some chilled and frozen products were removed from sale. Musgrave said its investigation was ongoing.
In Estonia, at least one supermarket was hit. Jann Mutso of refrigeration company Kitman Coldtech told public broadcaster ERR that the affected units were older models supplied by Danfoss. Temperatures had been set to 50°C, he said. Sweden’s National Cybersecurity Centre said it was working on several incidents. Its head, John Billow, said the country had identified a large number of exposed operational technology devices in recent weeks.
Commission warns of deliberate disruption
European Agriculture and Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen said the attacks were a deliberate attempt to disrupt the EU’s food supply and undermine consumer confidence. He said food security was not currently at risk, but the food waste and impact on businesses were real. A Commission spokesperson said the incidents showed how cyberattacks can directly affect citizens’ daily lives. The EU signed a UN convention against cybercrime in October 2025.
In France last month, police said hackers seized control of cooling units at hundreds of supermarkets, raising temperatures as high as 50°C and causing fires and food losses. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation. Belgium’s Centre for Cybersecurity said those responsible may never be identified. The attacks come amid wider European security concerns linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Several EU states have tightened cyber rules, including Austria, whose new cybersecurity law took effect on October 1.