Cyberattacks on refrigerators and freezers in European supermarkets

Supermarkets in at least seven European countries were hit by problems with freezers and fridges Monday that apparently were caused by cyberattacks

forcing some to dispose of ruined food.

The problems follow a case last month in which attackers remotely took control of refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets and independent stores across France, sending temperatures soaring.

Affected countries this time include Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland and Estonia.

Gustaf Nilsson, a spokesperson for Sweden's ICA Group supermarket chain said "a limited number" of stores were affected overnight by an incident that affected refrigeration and freezing systems.

He declined to give a specific number.

An ICA Kvantum store in southern Sweden said its fridges and freezers had been hacked and set to 50 degrees Celsius.

In a Facebook post it said staff were discarding affected products.

Store manager Rickard Nilsson at ICA Sjobo said "They've gained access and tampered with settings. It's insane. I don't see what they stand to gain from it. It's a form of terrorism.

The Coop chain said that six of its stores in central Sweden had problems with their fridges and freezers.

The Delhaize chain said an "IT incident" had affected refrigeration systems in several dozens of its stores mostly in Belgium and neighbouring Luxembourg.

In Ireland refrigeration systems in 13 SuperValu stores were affected but a spokesperson said, by Monday afternoon the incident had been fully resolved.