European supermarkets face widespread fridge temperature spikes after suspected cyberattack
On Monday, temperature controls in refrigerators and freezers malfunctioned across dozens of supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Ireland and France, ruining perishable goods. Retailers including Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA, Coop, Carrefour Belgium and Musgrave Group reported the incidents, with some stores noting temperatures reaching 50 °C. The attacks appear coordinated, with hackers reportedly switching evaporators to defrost mode, and police in France confirmed fires and food losses at hundreds of outlets. Companies are investigating and have withdrawn affected products while authorities examine the cyber breach.
Key facts
- Five Colruyt stores reported fridge system attacks.
- Coop said six of its roughly 800 Swedish stores faced refrigeration problems and discarded spoiled food.
- Around five Spar stores in Belgium experienced refrigeration issues.
- French retailers E. Leclerc, Intermarché and Cooperative U reported temperature spikes up to 122 °F in hundreds of outlets.
- SuperValu in Ireland withdrew chilled and frozen goods from 13 sites as a precaution.
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Why it matters
Food safety and supply chains are disrupted across multiple European markets.
What changed
First published from The Straits Times, The Guardian, BBC News, The Local Sweden and Al Jazeera English