Supermarket freezers in Belgium and Sweden hit by suspected cyber-attack

A suspected cyber-attack disrupted refrigeration systems at supermarkets in Belgium, Sweden and Luxembourg, with a smaller number of stores affected in Ireland. Around 40 Delhaize shops in Belgium and Luxembourg reported a computer incident overnight, while several ICA and Coop stores in Sweden were hit. Thirteen SuperValu shops in Ireland were also affected. In one Swedish store, freezer settings were reportedly changed to 50°C, spoiling food; stores had to discard stock, and local reports described losses worth millions of euros. A Delhaize branch estimated it had lost €100,000 in produce alone, excluding the cost of closing.

The impact varied by chain. Carrefour said 15 Belgian stores were affected but measures allowed all its shops to stay open. ICA said the affected outlets operated outside its central network and that it was helping them; one store closed temporarily before reopening. Seven of Sweden’s 800 Coop stores were affected, with the company describing the situation as contained. National cyber-security agencies in Belgium and Sweden were monitoring the incident, but neither had identified who was responsible. The disruption follows a similar attack the previous month that affected hundreds of French supermarkets, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in retail systems that control essential equipment such as refrigerators and freezers.