The Federal Food Agency has urged Belgians not to eat their Christmas trees after the City of Ghent recommended doing so.
On Monday, the City of Ghent launched a campaign calling on residents to reuse their Christmas trees in different ways to avoid excessive waste after the festive period. One suggestion consisted in making a soup out of the old needles based on a Scandinavian recipe.
The Federal Food Agency (FASFC) has since urged Belgians not to follow this advice. "Christmas trees are not meant to end up in the food chain," spokesperson Liesbeth Van de Voorde told De Standaard.
Christmas trees are treated with pesticides but they are not usually tested by the FASFC as they are not typically intended for consumption. The chemicals used pose a risk to human health.
The City of Ghent's advice refers to recipes that use Christmas tree needles in spicy Scandinavian soups. However, the FASFC says these recipes do not rely on accurate scientific knowledge.
In addition, the use of needles for soup in Scandinavian countries are typically taken from wild trees that are not sprayed with pesticides.
"This is completely different from trees that are grown here," according to the FASFC.
