<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The alkaloids present in the leaves of <jats:italic>Erythrina berteroana</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>E. poeppigiana</jats:italic> have been screened by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Samples of milk from goats which had been fed with leaves of these plants have also been analysed. Traces of β‐erythroidine were detected in the milk and this raised the question of whether it was suitable for human consumption.