BACKGROUND Although environmental factors greatly affect the quality of carp meat, no regulations impose labelling the place of cultivation of freshwater fish. That is why the purpose of this study was to determine the quality of carp meat cultivated in several regions of Poland as well as to assess the necessity of implementing such regulations. RESULTS The influence of the cultivation region on colour, nutrition value, health safety and sensory quality of carp meat was assessed. The analysis included colour measurement, determination of fatty acid profile and sensory evaluation of carp muscle. Moreover, microbiological analysis of the fish surface was performed. The results show that the place of cultivation does not influence the lightness (L*) of fillet, but has an impact on other colour parameters (a*, b*). The microbiological quality of fish from all studied farms was satisfactory, since no pathogenic microorganisms were observed on the fish surface. The fatty acid profile was fairly varied (P < 0.01), depending on the place of cultivation. CONCLUSIONS Since final results seem ambiguous, further analyses of quality features of carp from various regions and cultures should be performed, before any recommendation for the necessity of labelling the place and method of cultivation should be suggested.