Abstract In previous work (Le Bizec et al ., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom . 2000; 14: 1058), it was demonstrated that a boar meal intake could lead to possible false accusations of abuse of 17β‐nortestosterone in antidoping control. The aim of the present study was to identify and quantify endogenous 19‐norsteroids in boar edible tissue at concentrations that can alter the steroid urinary profile in humans, and lead to excretion of 19‐norandrosterone (19‐NA) and 19‐noretiocholanolone (19‐NE). The samples were analysed in two laboratories. The methodologies used for extraction and detection (GC/MS(EI) and LC/MS/MS(APCI+)) are compared and discussed. 19‐Norandrostenedione (NAED), 17β‐ and 17α‐nortestosterone (bNT, aNT), and 17β‐ and 17α‐testosterone (bT, aT) were quantified. The largest concentrations of NAED and bNT were observed in testicles (83 and 172 µg/kg), liver (17 and 63 µg/kg) and kidney (45 and 38 µg/kg). A correlation between the bNT and NAED content of a typical meal prepared with boar parts and the excreted concentrations of 19‐NA and 19‐NE in human urine was demonstrated. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.