How to Tell Real Urea from Fake: Learn to Buy Fertilizer with Confidence

The main methods for telling real urea from fake are one look, two checks, three weighings, four touches, five burns and six smells, described in detail below:

One look

Real urea is a semi-transparent granule of uniform size and five colors; if the surface color of the granules is too bright or too dark, or shows obvious reflection, it may be mixed with impurities.

Two checks

Check the production batch number and the seal on the packaging. Real urea generally has a clear production batch number on the bag and a machine seal with folded edges on both the front and back; the production batch number on fake urea packaging is unclear or absent, and most are sealed by hand with a single line.

Three weighings

Urea produced by legitimate manufacturers generally differs from the actual weight by less than 1%; fake urea passed off as real, however, differs greatly from the standard weight.

Four touches

Real urea granules are uniform in size and not prone to caking, so they feel good to the touch; when fake urea is touched by hand, it gives a burning sensation and a prickling feel.

Five burns

Real urea placed on red-hot charcoal melts quickly, gives off white smoke and has an ammonia smell. For example, on the charcoal it burns violently, gives off a strong light and makes a “hissing sound”; if it does not melt completely, then impurities may be mixed in.

Six smells

Under normal circumstances, urea from legitimate manufacturers has no volatile odor and only produces an ammonia smell after absorbing moisture or being exposed to high temperatures; if the volatile odor is strong under normal circumstances, then the urea contains impurities.