UK food suppliers have been caught up in the current wave of cyber attacks targeting refrigeration systems across Europe, raising fresh concerns over food safety and supply chain security.

Hackers have remotely manipulated the temperatures of fridges and freezers at food businesses, with a British fruit and vegetable wholesaler reporting that six of its 10 refrigeration units were compromised.

London-based Langridge Organic said attackers altered the settings of its cold storage equipment, triggering defrost cycles before staff intervened to prevent damage to stock.

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers confirmed that several of its members had been affected by the attacks, which have also disrupted supermarkets across Europe.

The trade body said one meat supplier had seen its refrigeration units’ temperature settings rise to 100C, while two others experienced equipment entering defrost mode.

However, no meat was lost as the affected units were empty at the time.

The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, confirmed it was working with affected UK businesses after identifying cases where vulnerable technology had been exploited.

NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester said: “We’re aware of those incidents in the UK, and obviously we’re working with the affected organisations. We’ll keep monitoring that. At the moment, the impact is minimal.”

The UK incidents follow a series of attacks targeting supermarket refrigeration systems in Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland.

Some European retailers were forced to dispose of chilled and frozen products after hackers remotely increased temperatures, with similar incidents having affected hundreds of supermarkets in France last month.

The attacks have exposed vulnerabilities in internet-connected refrigeration technology, with cybersecurity experts warning that outdated systems and weak security credentials could leave retailers and suppliers open to further disruption.

NCSC chief executive Richard Horne urged businesses to strengthen their cyber defences and invest in updating vulnerable equipment.

No UK supermarket chain has been confirmed as directly affected by the latest incidents, although the attacks have highlighted the potential risks to grocery retailers and their supply chains.

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter