Black Oxygen Organics
| Industry | Multi-level marketing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Marc Saint-Onge |
| Defunct | November 23, 2021 |
| Website | blackoxygenorganics.com (archived) |
Black Oxygen Organics was a Canadian multi-level marketing (MLM) company which sold dirt at a price of US$110 per package to customers in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 2015 as NuWTR by Marc Saint-Onge, an entrepreneur from Casselman, Ontario who has sold mud in various forms since the 1990s. Carlo Garibaldi served as President and Ron Montaruli served as vice president of business development. The company marketed its product as fulvic acid and claimed that it had many health benefits and uses, many of which have been debunked by scientists and activists who monitor MLMs. Participants in the MLM scheme promoted the product on social media under the hashtag #BOO.[1]
Black Oxygen Organics experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as misinformation relating to the pandemic led to a revival in alternative medicine. In September 2021, Health Canada announced a recall of Black Oxygen Organics tablets and powders, citing potential health risks and promotion of the products in ways that had not been evaluated or authorized.[1] Between July and October 2021, the Better Business Bureau received sixteen consumer complaints against Black Oxygen Organics, the majority of which alleged difficulties reaching business representatives while seeking refunds or information regarding orders.[2] In November 2021, four residents of Georgia filed a class action complaint against the company which alleged that it sold a product contaminated with toxic heavy metals, based on laboratory tests by scientists which confirmed elevated levels of lead and arsenic based on levels of dosage recommended by the company. Facing the proposed class action, the company announced its closure in November 2021, two days before Thanksgiving.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Zadrozny, Brandy (December 2, 2021). "'Magic dirt': How the internet fueled, and defeated, the pandemic's weirdest company". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ "BBB: Multiple complaints filed about online retailer BlackOxygen Organics". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.