Fridge Hack Hits Supermarkets Across Europe, Destroying Food Stock

Supermarkets in at least nine European countries have reportedly been hit by a cyber-attack on their refrigeration systems, causing food stock to be destroyed. Retailers in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden issued reports and statements about the incident on November 1. No confirmation has been given on how it happened or who is responsible.

The incident appears similar to an October 2026 attack on refrigeration providers Danfoss and Copeland, where hackers changed temperatures on internet-connected fridges across several French supermarket chains. Temperatures were reportedly set as high as 50°C (122°F), ruining the food inside. In the latest incident, Irish chain SuperValu said a "specific model" of refrigerator was affected, and it removed chilled and frozen products from shelves in 13 stores as a precaution. One ICA Sweden store reportedly said its fridges and freezers had been hacked. Ikea's outlet in Mons, Belgium, also reported freezer temperatures rising after a cyber-attack.

Authorities are responding. Sweden's National Cyber Security Centre said it is in contact with affected businesses and its European counterparts. In the UK, NCSC chief executive Richard Horne told the BBC that the agency is aware of "a couple of instances where vulnerable technology had been exploited" and that potentially affected companies have been alerted.