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A suspected cyberattack on supermarket refrigeration hit stores across Europe overnight into November 2, 2026, pushing fridge and freezer temperatures as high as 50°C (122°F) and spoiling food. Reports from outlets including The Verge and Tom's Hardware name affected chains in Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg and Estonia. No one has claimed responsibility.
Key facts
- Around 40 Delhaize stores in Belgium were affected, according to The Register. Carrefour reported about 15 Belgian stores and Spar about five.
- In Sweden, The Next Web reports that Coop counted seven of its 800 stores, and that ICA said a limited number of stores outside its central network were hit.
- In Ireland, 13 SuperValu stores reported problems, according to The Register, citing parent company Musgrave. Finland and Estonia also saw disruptions, though the chains were not identified.
- Belgian refrigeration firm Sabcobel said the units' evaporators were switched into defrost mode, per The Next Web. Some units need physical modifications to restore them.
- One Delhaize store in Hoeilaart had to discard food worth 100,000 euros, according to Digital Trends.
What happened on the ground
Managers described sudden alarms and total losses. A Delhaize store manager in Overijse told RTL Info the consequences were "catastrophic", according to The Register. Delhaize said its distribution centers were operating normally, but fresh and frozen ranges were temporarily limited in affected stores.
In Sweden, an ICA Nära store in Böda found a freezer reading 55°C and water on the floor, as reported by SVT and relayed by The Next Web and The Register. Sweden's National Cyber Security Centre is handling several cases, its head John Billow told Reuters.
