PepsiCo Cuts 1,000 Jobs as France Details Grocery Cyber Sabotage

Global food and beverage operations faced corporate restructuring, operational-technology cyber sabotage, and high-level diplomatic scrutiny on Monday. In North America, PepsiCo announced plans to eliminate about 1,000 jobs as it streamlines domestic operations, while in Paris French cybersecurity authorities attributed October refrigeration sabotage across 700 grocery stores and food processors as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened with Group of 7 foreign ministers.

PepsiCo Cuts About 1,000 Jobs in North American Restructuring

PepsiCo disclosed Monday that it plans to cut approximately 1,000 jobs across its North American business as the food and beverage company works to streamline internal operations and revive sluggish sales in its home market. The workforce reduction targets operational efficiency across its domestic supply and distribution network.

France Attributes Sabotage of 700 Grocery Refrigeration Systems

Highlighting the vulnerability of connected food cold-chain infrastructure, France's Cyber Crisis Coordination Centre—which unites national cybersecurity agency ANSSI, the military's cyber command, and the DGSE and DGSI intelligence services—published a five-page report on Monday attributing last month's sabotage of refrigeration controllers at around 700 French grocery stores, butcher shops, a slaughterhouse, and cooperative food-processing plants to Shahid Kaveh, a unit under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Electronic and Cyber Center.

The October intrusions spoiled large quantities of perishable food, triggered at least 15 fires, and coincided with moderate disruptions to Schneider Electric equipment at small hydroelectric facilities, before a second wave in early November struck refrigeration systems across at least 11 European countries, including British meat suppliers and 3 sites operated by France's national blood service. Speaking at the G7 ministerial meeting in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed the attribution, summoned Iran's ambassador, and announced France would pursue European sanctions, while Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau opened a judicial investigation seeking international arrest warrants for unit head Hamid Reza Lashgarian and commanders Mahdi Lashgarian and Reza Salarvand.

U.S. federal agencies previously linked Shahid Kaveh—also tracked as CyberAv3ngers—to 2023 operational-technology attacks on U.S. water utilities, offering rewards of up to $10 million for information on 6 officials and adding a reward in September for Amir Yaryab. ANSSI also linked sister unit Shahid Shoostari (Emennet Pasargad) to a six-year campaign that included targeting digital video displays during the 2024 Paris Olympics and a 2020 operation against Charlie Hebdo.

G7 Foreign Ministers Convene in Paris on Energy, AI, and Security

The French attribution coincided with two days of Group of 7 ministerial talks in Paris bringing together the 7 member nations—the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan—alongside invited delegations from Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine. Coming just over a week after Rubio hosted foreign ministers from the 20 largest economies at a G20 meeting in Atlanta, and amid speculation he has denied regarding a 2028 presidential run after President Donald Trump named Stephen Miller chief of staff, the Paris gathering includes dedicated sessions on artificial intelligence, energy security, and postwar security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of this week's talks in Abu Dhabi involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

French hosts signaled that the G7 meeting will not produce a joint communique. Addressing energy shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea alongside Qatari mediation proposals, Rubio told reporters before arriving in Paris that diplomatic talks with Iran remain unproductive.