Britain’s meat processing industry has been hit by cyber-attacks, raising fears that weaknesses in the country’s critical infrastructure could leave food supplies vulnerable to digital sabotage as criminals and hostile states prepare to exploit artificial intelligence.

Paul Chichester, director of operations at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said the impact on UK businesses had so far been limited, but confirmed that the agency was working with organisations affected by the incidents.

The disclosure follows a wave of attacks on supermarkets across Europe, including France and Ireland, where hackers reportedly manipulated refrigeration systems, forcing temperatures in fridges and freezers to rise and causing food to spoil, Sky News reported.

The incidents have exposed the potential for cyber-attacks to cause immediate physical disruption, turning compromised computer systems into a threat to food security and essential supply chains.

Dr Richard Horne, chief executive of the NCSC, said teams had worked through the night to alert British companies considered vulnerable to similar attacks. He said the October attack in France exploited ageing internet-connected technology protected by default passwords.

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The incident highlights how relatively basic security failures can leave essential commercial infrastructure exposed, even as governments and businesses prepare for more sophisticated threats.

An NCSC spokesperson said the agency was “aware of a small number of UK organisations that may be affected by this incident”, adding that it was working with relevant sectors to understand and mitigate the impact.

The identity of those responsible remains uncertain. Horne told Sky News it was “simply too early to tell” who was behind the latest attacks.

But he warned that the breaches demonstrated the scale of the challenge facing businesses and public services.

They “have shown us that this is an all of society thing, a message we keep hearing from government, but one that is really, really true”, he said.

The warning coincides with the publication of the NCSC’s annual report, which predicts that artificial intelligence will significantly increase the speed and scale of cyber-attacks against British infrastructure.

By 2028, ransomware criminals are “highly likely” to be using AI to target the UK, while hostile states including Russia and China are expected to deploy the technology routinely to advance their strategic objectives.

Horne warned that vulnerabilities ignored for years could now be identified and exploited at a speed previously unimaginable.

“Vulnerabilities that have been tolerated for far too long can now be discovered and exploited at a scale that was once unimaginable,” he said.

He criticised decades of underinvestment in technology and security, arguing that Britain had pursued “tech on the cheap” while leaving critical systems exposed.

The consequences, he warned, could be severe. Businesses that fail to address known weaknesses may eventually have to explain their inaction when cyber-attacks result in empty supermarket shelves or power blackouts.

The warning has also reinforced government advice that households should maintain supplies of food, water and other essentials in preparation for major disruption.

Simon Edwards, chief executive of cyber security testing company SE Labs, said the warnings reflected an increasingly hostile environment in which organisations faced a constant stream of attacks.

“These warnings come as little surprise given the current state of the cyber threat landscape and the constant wave of attacks targeting organisations,” he said. “Cyber criminals are increasingly exploiting AI and cause significant disruption at unprecedented speed and scale.”

Edwards cautioned that businesses should not become so focused on emerging AI threats that they overlooked conventional cyber vulnerabilities. Smaller companies, in particular, often lack the resources to defend themselves adequately despite their importance to larger supply chains.

“SMEs often lack the financial resources to build strong cyber security capabilities, despite being the backbone of larger organisations’ supply chains,” he said.

He called for rigorous, independent testing against real-world attacks to expose weaknesses before criminals could exploit them, warning that traditional approaches to cyber security were no longer sufficient.

The Government has announced additional funding to strengthen Britain’s defences, including £60mn for a national Cyber Shield and £70mn for a National Exposure and Real-Time Vulnerability (NERV) Centre. It will also establish a new AI Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in Manchester.

However, the latest attacks underline the gap between investment in future defences and the vulnerabilities already embedded in existing infrastructure.

For Britain’s food industry, that gap could prove particularly costly. Refrigeration systems, processing facilities and distribution networks are increasingly dependent on connected technology. A successful intrusion can therefore move quickly from a computer screen to a warehouse floor, destroying stock and disrupting deliveries.

The threat is no longer confined to stolen data or financial losses. As attackers become more capable, the security of Britain’s food supplies will depend increasingly on whether the systems keeping the country fed can withstand a digital assault.