The aim of the study was to apply a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm a presence of hake (genus Merluccius) in a pool of processed seafood samples. A short fragment of the cytb in the mitochondrial control region was amplified. The hake- specific PCR product, due to its limited size, was obtained in a variety of tissue samples. A different level of DNA concentration and degradation, including processed food products, was observed. A total of 64 products were tested and despite their labels, 13 of them were proved to contain no hake. Our protocol for hake identification is faster and more convenient than currently employed methods and may facilitate the identification of fish species.