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Outside of its traditional domain in Asia, seaweed is rapidly gaining popularity among CPG food brands and consumers alike in the United States for its multitude of positive attributes including the potential to help achieve carbon neutrality and mitigate deoxygenation and eutrophication.

Last week, plant-based ramen startup immi announced it raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Touch Capital and featuring a slate of celebrity investors such as tennis pro Naomi Osaka and R&B singer Usher. Now, the company is looking to quadruple its retail footprint this year and bring manufacturing up to pace as demand rises.

Over the past month, BevNET and NOSH tapped contacts from around the CPG industry to get a feel for the pulse of this year’s show as it prepares for kickoff in Anaheim on Wednesday.

In this roundup: Home Chef expands business with new East Coast facility; Poppy raises $3M for handcrafted popcorn; Afresh expands to new areas of the store and Renegade Foods unveils shelf-stable vegan deli meat.

Next week brands and entrepreneurs from across the CPG industry will soon come together at Natural Products Expo West to highlight their latest product innovations along with new technology and trends. Both NOSH and BevNET will have ongoing coverage over the coming days, but here’s a quick preview of just some of the new releases from exhibiting brands, including Goodles, Rob’s Backstage Popcorn and Siete.

There are many ways to fund a startup, but using the winnings from a career as a successful, high-stakes professional poker player is certainly not the norm. However, Oats Overnight CEO Brian Tate is ready to go all-in.

Canadian pea and canola plant protein maker Merit Functional Foods has been placed in receivership with creditors filing court order Wednesday.

This week the team talks viral marketing campaigns and details some tips and tricks for Expo West. Later Bobo’s CEO TJ McIntyre explains about common missteps brands make when approaching innovation and growth in tandem.

Gut health-focused snack bar brand BelliWelli announced this week it raised $15.4 million in a funding round that closed in January, led by New York-based private equity firm The Invus Group.

On Tuesday, the FDA announced its progress on restructuring the Human Foods Program consolidating food safety enforcement under one leadership role and streamlining operations internally and in the field.