Some things might go without saying, but just in case... Belgium’s food agency issued a public health warning as the festive season wrapped up on Tuesday: Do not eat your Christmas tree.
The unusual message came after the city of Ghent, an environmentalist stronghold in the country’s East Flanders region, raised eyebrows by posting tips for recycling the conifers on the dinner table.
Pointing with enthusiasm to examples from Scandinavia, the town Web site suggested needles could be stripped, blanched and dried — for use in making flavored butter, for instance.
Photo: AP
Asked what they thought of the idea, the reply from the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain was a resounding “no.”
“Christmas trees are not destined to enter the food chain,” it said in a statement.
“There is no way to ensure that eating Christmas trees is safe — either for people or animals,” it said, citing the likely presence of pesticides on most trees cultivated for the season.
“What’s more, there is no easy way for consumers to tell if Christmas trees have been treated with flame retardant — and not knowing that could have serious, even fatal consequences,” the agency said.
“In short, there are many reasons not to promote nor encourage the reuse of Christmas trees in the food chain,” it said.
Seemingly taking the warning on board, the city tweaked its post in its wake — changing its headline from “Eat your Christmas tree” to read instead: “Scandinavians eat their Christmas trees.”
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