Supermarkets across seven European countries have been affected by a cyber-attack targeting their refrigeration systems, forcing some stores to dispose of large quantities of food.
Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, alongside shops in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland.
The attack reportedly caused the evaporators in some refrigerators and freezers to switch to defrost mode, raising their temperatures.
Belgian manufacturer Sabcobel, which operates refrigeration systems for Delhaize, said the incident appeared to follow the same method used in an attack on hundreds of French supermarkets in October.
Sabcobel CEO Stephan Moelans confirmed the latest incident was a cyber-attack, telling the Belga news agency on Monday that the company had been working to disconnect affected units from the network.
He said efforts had been underway since the French incident to protect customers' refrigeration systems, but the vulnerability required physical modifications rather than software updates alone.
The attacks have caused significant losses for some retailers. A Delhaize branch in Hoeilaart, Belgium, estimated that it had lost €100,000 worth of produce, according to local media.
Other affected retailers include Carrefour, which reported incidents at 15 Belgian stores, and five Spar outlets operated by Colruyt Group. Ikea also reported problems with refrigeration systems at its store in Mons, Belgium.
In the Netherlands, at least 17 businesses, including butcher shops and neighbourhood stores, were affected, while incidents were also reported at some K-stores in Finland and a Selver supermarket in Estonia.
Authorities in Belgium and Sweden said they were monitoring the situation. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre also said it was working with international partners and industry to understand the incident, although no attacks had been reported in the UK.
It remains unclear who was behind the latest attack. US authorities are also investigating refrigeration malfunctions at several American military bases in August, working with French officials to determine whether those incidents could be connected.
