Fish Quality and Contaminant Loads in a Changing Environment: Conventional and Aquacultural Practices

Reducing the carbon footprint, significantly impacted by livestock farming, has become a primary goal in addressing climate change. The production of meat and dairy products, along with raw materials used in pet food, contributes to elevated greenhouse gas emissions, excessive water consumption, and environmental pollution. One strategy to mitigate these impacts is the adoption of alternative and sustainable protein sources in both human and animal nutrition. While plant-based proteins (e.g., those derived from legumes) present a viable solution, their cultivation is increasingly challenged by climate variability and dependence on open-field agriculture. Aquaculture has emerged as a promising sector for sustainable protein production, provided it follows environmental and ethical sustainability principles. Over recent decades, marine aquaculture production and the associated manufacture of aquafeeds have grown substantially. Although aquafeeds represent a small share of total global animal feed production, they rely heavily on ingredients also used in livestock feed, pet food, and even human food. Given current environmental changes and the incorporation of novel feed ingredients, it is critical to monitor potential contaminants and evaluate their effects on the nutritional composition and overall quality of farmed fish.



This Research Topic aims to advance knowledge on how evolving aquaculture practices, particularly the introduction of alternative feed ingredients and adaptation to environmental change, shape fish quality and contaminant loads. While significant strides have been made, notable challenges still obstruct their effective integration into real-world aquaculture systems. Key gaps include understanding how novel ingredients and processing influence contaminant profiles, nutrient bioavailability, product quality, and consumer health in complex supply chains. This Research Topic seeks to address these gaps by collecting innovative contributions centered on ingredient sourcing, feed formulation, contaminant monitoring, and nutrition quality assessment across the farmed fish value chain. Understanding how environmental changes influence food safety and consumer health is vital for maintaining consumer confidence and supporting the future of aquaculture in a dynamic global environment.



To gather further insights into how environmental dynamics and alterations in aquafeed composition influence fish quality and contaminant risk, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:​​​​​​​

- Development and assessment of novel alternative protein sources for aquafeeds

- Monitoring and characterization of contaminants in farmed fish and aquafeeds

- Effects of climate change and environmental variability on fish health, contaminant accumulation, and nutritional quality

- Advances in analytical methods for the detection and quantification of foodborne hazards in aquaculture

- Strategies for ensuring food safety, traceability, and consumer acceptance in the aquaculture value chain

We invite the submission of original research and review articles.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: chemical contaminant, fish contaminants, aquaculture, aquafeeds

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.