Belgiumʼs federal food agency has urged people not to eat Christmas trees, after the city of Ghent recommended people do so to reduce waste after the New Year holidays.
This was reported by Politico, citing a statement from the departmentʼs press secretary.
First, the local council of Ghent began advertising several ways to recycle Christmas trees after the holidays on January 4. One option was a pine needle soup based on a traditional Scandinavian recipe.
“Your Christmas tree is edible unless it is yew and your tree has been treated with a fire retardant spray,” the local council wrote.
On Tuesday, January 7, the Belgian Federal Food Agency stressed that this is a dangerous idea, as it is difficult for people to determine whether trees have been treated with flame retardants.
They explained that there is a difference between commercially grown Christmas trees and the natural pine trees traditionally used in some Nordic recipes.
"Pine needles from the pristine nature of northern countries are completely different from the needles of trees grown for Christmas," they said.
According to the agency, most decorative Christmas trees are carefully treated with pesticides and other chemicals to preserve their appearance and protect against pests, making them unsafe for consumption.
In addition, the agency notes, to avoid problems with the appearance of woolly aphids, Christmas trees are also additionally treated.
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