PARIS, Oct 13: A major cyberattack has disrupted refrigeration systems at hundreds of supermarkets in France and prompted an international grocery retailer to shut down several customer facing websites across Europe and the United States, raising concerns about the vulnerability of essential retail infrastructure.
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure informed Parliament on Tuesday that approximately 700 of the country’s 10,000 supermarkets had been affected by the incident. While he reassured lawmakers that France’s food supply remained secure, he described the attack as a serious warning for the country’s food distribution network.
The minister said the incident had exposed weaknesses in systems critical to preserving food products and maintaining normal supermarket operations.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that its cybercrime unit had opened an investigation into the attack. Investigators are examining the scale of the disruption, including potential financial losses from spoiled food and the possibility of fires linked to refrigeration failures.
Dominique Schelcher, chief executive officer of French grocery chain Cooperative U, said 80 of the company’s approximately 2,000 stores were affected. Although most outlets managed to avoid significant interruptions to their cooling systems, some were forced to dispose of food that could no longer be safely preserved.
Schelcher described the incident as an unprecedented and serious threat to France’s food supply chain, highlighting the importance of refrigeration equipment in protecting perishable goods.
The disruption has also drawn attention to the security of technology used to control commercial cooling systems. Danish technology company Danfoss, which supplied the refrigeration management software involved, said the majority of affected systems were older products that no longer received software or security updates.
The company said it had repeatedly advised customers to maintain supported systems with the latest firmware and protect their networks using firewalls. Danfoss added that it was working with affected customers to contain the consequences of the incident and reduce further disruption.
The situation has also affected Ahold Delhaize, a major Dutch supermarket group operating several well-known grocery brands in Europe and the United States. The company said on Tuesday that it was working to restore systems that had been taken offline following a security issue.
Among the affected websites were those associated with Stop & Shop in the United States, Food Lion and Albert Heijn in the Netherlands. Several websites remained inaccessible on Tuesday, although the company’s physical stores continued operating and serving shoppers.
Ahold Delhaize declined to disclose further details about the incident but said it had found no evidence that customer or employee information had been stolen.
The retailer apologised for the inconvenience caused to customers and business partners, stressing that protecting its digital infrastructure remained a priority.
The incidents underscore the growing risks facing supermarket operators as they increasingly rely on connected technologies to manage refrigeration, inventory, online shopping and other essential functions.
Security experts have repeatedly warned that outdated software and insufficient network protection can leave industrial control systems vulnerable to cyberattacks. In the retail sector, disruptions to refrigeration can have consequences beyond digital services, potentially affecting food quality, increasing operating costs and creating additional waste.
French authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and establish how the systems were compromised. The findings could help identify security gaps and inform measures to strengthen protection for critical commercial infrastructure.
Although officials have ruled out an immediate threat to national food supplies, the incident has highlighted the importance of keeping essential systems updated and securing the technology that supports everyday services.