Supermarket freezers across Belgium hit in suspected cyber-attack

Fridges and freezers in dozens of Belgian supermarkets have malfunctioned, in what appears to have been a cyber-attack on their internet-connected refrigeration systems.

Store managers started receiving alarms at about 3.00 on Sunday as temperatures began to rise. Some freezers reached about 15°C.

In some stores the compressors had been switched off, while in others the units had been put into defrost mode. Several retailers called in refrigerated lorries to save their stock.

Delhaize confirmed an “IT incident” affecting about 40 of its stores. According to RTBF, the problems mainly hit Shop & Go convenience stores at Q8 petrol stations, Proxy Delhaize outlets and shops along motorways, although some Delhaize supermarkets were also affected.

Carrefour Belgium said 15 of its stores had been hit and that it was “analysing the situation”.

Ikea reported a “cyber-incident” at its Mons store, but said the impact was limited. “None of our other stores are affected,” the company said.

The cause has not been officially confirmed. A franchisee in Brussels told RTBF that his refrigeration technician had described it as a hack similar to the one in France in mid-October, when systems in about 150 stores were targeted.

“No hypothesis is being ruled out, including that of a cyber-attack,” said interior minister Bernard Quintin (MR).

The federal prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on Monday but has not released any further information.

Supermarkets elsewhere in Europe reported similar problems on the same night. In Sweden, the ICA and Coop chains were affected and ICA said it was throwing out products.

In Ireland, 13 SuperValu stores withdrew chilled and frozen goods from sale as a precaution, and some did not open on time. Stores in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Estonia and Finland were also hit.

Quintin said there was no general supply problem, as distribution centres had not been affected and the incidents were limited to refrigeration equipment in some stores.

He called for better protection of IT systems and greater resilience across the sector, and will meet retail federation Comeos.

Since December 2025, the food sector has fallen under the CER law on the resilience of critical entities.