A Belgian city has sparked confusion after advising its residents to eat Christmas trees, despite being potentially poisonous to humans.
The city of Ghent recommended using the needles to make concoctions such as spruce needle butter, instead of throwing the trees away after the festive season.
However a spokesperson for the Belgian Food Safety Agency AFSCA, Hélène Bonte, has since warned residents that “Christmas trees are not intended to enter the food chain”.
Bonte told Het Laatste Nieuws: “Christmas tree growers can only use authorised substances, which they must keep records of, and have their watering systems technically checked. But this does not apply to use in food.”
As they aren’t grown with the intention of becoming food, they may be subject to different farming methods, so they aren’t safe for consumption.
Even though spruce needle butter is commonly made in Scandinavia, the needles come from fir trees grown in natural reserves, not ones that have been grown intensively for Christmas.
Additionally, some varieties of pine trees can be harmful to humans if consumed, such as the yew variety, and some even contain toxins that could be fatal in the worst case scenario.
Other risks include stomach irritation and discomfort, sap from pine trees leading to allergic reactions, and improperly prepared tree parts containing harmful bacteria.
Recipes for spruce needle butter suggest it can add a Christmas tree flavour to baked goods, like sugar cookies or a simple slice of toast.
