US subsidiaries of HelloFresh SE, entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of Factor75, Inc. HelloFresh is a provider of meal kits in the world and in the US. Factor is a leading provider of fully-prepared, fresh meals that combine health, convenience and restaurant-quality taste.

Ramen Lab, the pop-up restaurant incubator from Sun Noodle, announced  that it is launching a frozen prepared ramen bowl product line called Ramen Lab at Home: Chef to Guest. Ramen Lab will collaborate with celebrated ramen chefs. The store launched on August 7.

Whether assembling kits themselves at a local meal kit assembly shop, signing up for a subscription service online, or picking up a kit from their local supermarket, consumers show no signs of abandoning this time-saving meal option.

HelloFresh customers can order the Chicken Gyro Couscous Bowl and the entirely plant-based Mediterranean Hummus & Couscous Bowl through the end of the year.

All recipes arrive carefully packed and insulated with high-quality, pre-portioned fresh ingredients along with the step-by-step instructions needed to prepare a complete meal.

The past few years have seen strong innovation and development across the wider spectrum of meal solutions. Of course, that’s been driven by online meal and meal prep subscription services such as Blue Apron, Home Chef, Sun Basket, Hello Fresh, Freshly, and others.

Over the past year, a deluge off acquisition and collaboration deals between kit manufacturers and retailers has created a groundswell of media conversation, consumer awareness and retail distribution points for meal kit offerings.

"We are setting the standard for the retail category through innovation, product development and technology; we listened to our retail partners and we developed products to solve their problem, shelf life."

Knick Knacks will feature a combination of pre-portioned spices, sauces, grains, and dairy ingredients from Blue Apron’s premium suppliers, such as crème fraîche from Vermont Creamery, furikake from Mara Seaweed, and preserved lemon puree from NY Shuk, as well as Blue Apron’s own proprietary products, such as its line of custom spice blends.