By Tim Binnall
The Belgian government recently issued a rather odd warning to residents wherein they cautioned them against eating their Christmas trees. The peculiar message reportedly came about after the website for the Belgian city of Ghent posted an article featuring recycling tips for after the holiday season. Among the advice was to emulate the Scandinavian practice of using Christmas tree needles to create butter. However, the unorthodox suggestion was quickly rebuked by the country's Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, which explained why this was not a particularly great idea.
"There is no way to ensure that eating Christmas trees is safe – either for people or animals," the agency said, indicating that the holiday decoration could contain pesticides applied during the growing process. Beyond bug-killing chemicals, the statement also noted that the trees may have been sprayed with a flame retardant that would "have serious, even fatal consequences" should someone ingest it. In response to the stern word of warning, Ghent's website smartly edited the post-holiday article, removing the provocative "eat your Christmas tree" heading that served as a misguided call to action.