Photo: Henry Saint John / Shutterstock.com The European Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, has condemned a cyberattack targeting food products at several French supermarket chains, warning that threats to food security require greater attention.
“I strongly condemn the cyberattack targeting food products at Intermarché, Coopérative U and E.Leclerc. Food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponization of food has become a reality,” Hansen wrote on X.
The attack, reported on October 12, affected refrigeration systems at supermarkets in France. Hackers reportedly manipulated controls for refrigerators and freezers, causing temperatures to rise and forcing stores to discard food. French authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Retailers including Intermarché, Coopérative U, Carrefour and Monoprix reported disruptions. Investigators are examining refrigeration management systems, including equipment supplied by Danish company Danfoss. The full extent of the damage and the precise method used in the attack remain under investigation.
Separately, Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn and its sister brands Etos and Gall & Gall are dealing with a cybersecurity incident that began on Sunday afternoon.
In an update published on October 12 at 5:20 p.m., Albert Heijn said it had temporarily shut down some systems as a precaution to protect its IT environment. The disruption has affected the companies’ websites, apps and customer service, as well as the logistics systems needed to fulfill online grocery orders.
Albert Heijn confirmed that it could not deliver groceries ordered online and had cancelled all online orders until further notice. Customers who had already paid would be compensated once the systems were working again.
Physical stores remain open, and checkout systems continue to function. However, customers cannot currently use personal discounts and some loyalty features, including Koopzegels and Air Miles. The retailer also warned that product availability could vary between stores in the coming days, with certain fresh products, including fruit and vegetables, potentially harder to find than frozen goods, bread and non-perishable items.
The company said it was working to restore services safely but could not yet provide a timeline for their return.
The French refrigeration attack and the Dutch cybersecurity incident are separate events, and no connection between them has been confirmed. Albert Heijn has not publicly said that its systems were affected by the same type of attack reported in France.