The recent wave of cyberattacks targeting commercial refrigeration systems across Europe are a wake-up call for the UK food industry and for policymakers around resilience of the UK food chain.
Supermarkets and suppliers in several countries have been affected, with hackers remotely manipulating refrigeration controls and causing temperatures to rise to levels that have put food stocks at risk. British food businesses have also recently suffered disruption through various cyberattacks, highlighting the vulnerabilities within the systems and infrastructure that keeps our food safe.
These incidents expose fundamental flaws. We rely on refrigeration and freezing at every stage of the food supply chain, from processing and storage to wholesale distribution and retail. Yet the cold chain rarely receives the same attention as other forms of critical national infrastructure.
That needs to change. At the same time, there are some important questions to ask.
Does every piece of refrigeration equipment need to be connected to a network? Could some systems operate perfectly well without an internet connection? Where connectivity is genuinely necessary, are sufficient levels of security in place? And shouldn’t equipment manufacturers be required to provide security updates and software support throughout the operational life of the equipment?
Commercial freezers typically have a working life of 12 to 20 years. Businesses investing in this equipment should be able to expect essential security support for that entire period, at a minimum. Allowing manufacturers to withdraw software updates while their products remain in critical use creates an unacceptable vulnerability. These are not consumer devices, they are part of the vital infrastructure that keeps the country fed.
Equipment not built for extreme weather
The cyber threat is just one part of the resilience challenge facing the UK food system.
For the cold chain, we saw some ageing freezer infrastructure begin to struggle during the record-breaking heatwaves this summer, with many supermarkets systems becoming inefficient and unable to deal with the high temperatures.
More widely, geopolitical instability, extreme weather, energy price volatility and disruption to international trade are all placing increasing pressure on food supply chains.
Extreme weather can quickly affect food production. Record-breaking temperatures, prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall are putting pressure on agricultural output in the UK and around the world.
Changing weather patterns affect growing conditions, harvests and global commodity markets. When several major producing regions experience difficulties at the same time, the consequences can travel quickly through international supply chains.
The UK remains heavily reliant on imported food, with around 48% of the food we consume coming from overseas. Global sourcing brings considerable benefits, providing consumers with choice and helping to keep food affordable. It also exposes us to events beyond our control, from conflict and trade disruption to changing weather patterns affecting harvests around the world.
Against this backdrop, we all need to think much more strategically about the infrastructure that supports our food supply. Resilience means having the capacity to absorb disruption, maintain availability and give businesses the flexibility to respond when normal supply routes are under pressure.
The role of frozen food
Freezing fundamentally changes the way food can be produced, stored and distributed. By extending shelf life from days to months or even longer, it creates a valuable buffer between production and consumption. Food can be harvested when conditions are right, processed and stored, then distributed when demand requires it.
That flexibility is hugely valuable in a volatile world. It reduces dependence on continuous deliveries, helps manage seasonal fluctuations and allows businesses to hold stocks that can support supply when disruption occurs. It also creates opportunities to make better use of seasonal surpluses and food that might otherwise go to waste.
Freezing food is one of the most powerful weapons we have in the fight against food waste.
Products can be stored for extended periods and used in the quantities required, reducing the likelihood of perfectly good food being discarded. This applies throughout the supply chain, from manufacturers and retailers to foodservice operators and households.
There is also an important nutritional dimension. Freezing locks in nutritional quality, allowing fruit and vegetables to be made available throughout the year, regardless of growing seasons or temporary shortages. It provides an accessible and affordable way of maintaining a varied diet, even when fresh produce becomes more expensive or difficult to source.
However, we need to ensure that the infrastructure supporting frozen food is fit for the challenges ahead.
Investing in resilience
The UK needs a much clearer picture of its industrial cold-storage capacity. We should understand where that capacity exists, how much spare provision is available and how it could be coordinated during a national emergency.
A comprehensive audit of the cold chain should be a priority. This must examine the age and condition of facilities, backup power arrangements, contingency planning and cyber security. It should also consider the resilience of the wider network, including transport, distribution and the availability of alternative storage should individual facilities become unavailable.
Energy security is another essential consideration. Freezing is energy-intensive, and operators need robust contingency arrangements to maintain operations during power disruption. We need a better understanding of the level of protection across the country and whether existing arrangements would be sufficient during a prolonged emergency.
Government has a responsibility to bring these issues together. Food security needs to be treated as a fundamental component of national resilience, with closer cooperation between policymakers and the businesses responsible for keeping the supply chain moving.
The recent attacks, and the heat-related breakdowns in the summer have exposed vulnerabilities that demand attention. We have an opportunity to address them through better security standards, more robust infrastructure and a clearer understanding of the risks facing our food supply.
Ultimately, food security is about much more than having enough food on supermarket shelves today. It is about ensuring that we can continue to feed the population tomorrow, whatever challenges the world throws at us.
The cold chain is fundamental to that ambition. Frozen food is already an important part of the UK’s food resilience, and with the right investment, infrastructure and policy support, it can play an even greater role.
We cannot predict the next crisis. We can, however, invest in our critical systems and give them the best change of being ready for it.
