The country’s food agency warned against using evergreens in food after the city of Ghent suggested an unusual form of recycling: spruce needle butter.

A day after Belgium warned against eating Christmas trees, Swedish officials said that the needles can be safely used to make butter and other products -- as long as the trees are young and wild.

Belgium's food safety agency issued a warning to residents to not turn their Christmas trees into food after a city's recycling recommendations included using the needles in recipes.

In a surprising twist to holiday traditions, Belgians are encouraged to eat their Christmas trees to combat waste. However, the Federal Food Agency quickly intervened, warning against this unusual practice due to safety concerns over pesticides and chemicals used in tree cultivation.