Product
1.  What products have preservatives?
2.  Why do your products have preservatives?
3.  Which Lenard's products are low in fat?
4.  Can I buy your marinades?
5.  Can I freeze easyliving ?
6.  What are the sugar levels of your products?
7.  Are your products suitable for diabetics?
8.  Why are your Sausages so salty?
9.  How much garlic butter is there in a Chicken Kiev ?
10.  Why do Lenards products differ throughout stores?
11.  What products would you suggest are blander than others?  
12.  Can I change a product in my value pack to something else?
13.  Which Lenard's products do not contain added gluten?
14.  What does ‘sausage meat’ mean?
15.  How much fat is contained in the Sausages?
16.  What casings do Lenard’s use for the Chicken Sausages?
17.  What products contain MSG?
18.  What are trans fats?
19.  How do I reduce/avoid trans fats in my diet?
Food Safety
20.  How long will my product last in the fridge?
21.  Does Lenard’s chicken contain hormones or antibiotics?
22.  Are your chickens processed in a chemical free way?
23.  Why don't your staff wear gloves?
24.  How much bacteria is in chicken?
25.  What bacteria are in chicken?
Cooking
26.  Is the Chicken Cordon Bleu/Schnitzel cooked properly as it always turns out pink in colour?
27.  What is the cooking time for whole birds?
28.  What do you mean by fresh?
General
29.  Are your chickens organic?
30.  Do you supply free-range birds?
31.  What is the difference between free-range and regular birds?
32.  Are minced chicken frames suitable for my puppy?
Tender Gold
33.  What is tender gold?
34.  What makes the product gold?
35.  What is the flavour of tender gold?
36.  Is tender gold spicy?
37.  How can tender gold be used?

Product
 
Q:  What products have preservatives?
A:  Sausages and products containing sausage meat (example: patties, strudels, meat loaf) are the only products that Lenard’s adds preservatives to. Lenard’s does not add preservatives to any other product, however there may be preservatives present in some of our ingredients.
   
Q:  Why do your products have preservatives?
A: 

In general, all sausages available for retail sale contain preservatives. At Lenard’s, preservatives are added to minced products to slow or prevent the deterioration of the product by microorganisms. Minced foods are considered a risk as there is a lot of surface area exposed during production and the addition of preservatives assists in maintaining food safety.
   
Q:  Which Lenard's products are low in fat?
A: 

To be termed "low fat", the identified product must be <3% fat (97% fat free).  The following Lenard's products are 97% fat free:

  • Tandoori Chicken (1.7%)
  • Tender Gold Breast Fillet (1.5%)
  • Sundried Tomato Tender Gold Breast Risotto Base (2.5%)
  • Sundried Tomato Tender Gold Breast Shashlick (1.3%)
  • Bush BBQ Breast (3%)
  • Portuguese Breast (3%)
  • Sundried Tomato Breast (2.9%)
  • Peking Chicken Wraps (2.3%)

Other products that are 5% fat or less are:

  • Black Cherry Breast Filo with Camembert (4.4%)
  • Florentine Breast Filo (4.1%)
  • Mango Breast Filo with Tangy Cream Cheese (4.0%)
  • Cranberry Breast Filo with Camembert (4.4%)
  • Chicken Oceana (3.4%)
  • Peking Shashlick (4.4%)
  • Portuguese Shashlick (4.5%)
  • Sweet Thai Chilli Shashlick (4.5%)
  • Honey & Seeded Mustard Mini Roast (3.9%)
  • Chinese Honey Stir-Fry (3.3%)
  • Mild Curry Stir-Fry (4.6%)
  • Stroganoff Stir-Fry (4.2%)
  • Sweet Thai Chilli Stir-Fry (3.1%)
  • Thai King Stir-Fry (4.0%)
  • Tandoori Chicken Wraps (4.1%)
  • Aussie Bush Wraps (3.6%)
  • Teriyaki & Garlic Fillet Steak (4.1%)
  • Thai Spice Fillet Steak (4.2%)
  • Sweet Thai Chilli Fillet Steak (4.1%
  • Honey Mustard Fillet Steak (4.6%)
  • Chicken Chasseur Casserole (3.9%)
  • Honey Mustard Casserole (4.3%)
  • Tuscan Casserole (4.2%)
  • BBQ Kebab (3.8%)
  • Chinese Honey Kebab (4.3%)
  • Honey Mustard Kebab (4.4%)
  • Sundried Tomato Kebab (3.7%)
  • Teriyaki & Garlic Kebab (3.6%)
  • Thai King Kebab (3.8%)
   
Q:  Can I buy your marinades?
A: 

Yes. Customers are able to buy any of Lenard’s marinades from our stores.

HINT: If you are interested in purchasing a marinade please bring a suitable (plastic screw top) container to the store. This will ensure no spillage on your trip home and make the product easier to use. If you do not have a container the store will be able to place the marinade in a plastic produce bag and you can simply cut off one corner to use.
   
Q:  Can I freeze easyliving ?
A: 

Freezing easyliving meals results in a poor quality product when compared to the regular chilled product. Freezing of easyliving meals is not recommended. Cooking instructions for all easyliving are from chilled.

Stores are not to sell frozen easyliving meals.
   
Q:  What are the sugar levels of your products?
A: 

Please refer to the Nutritional Information Panels available on our website.
   
Q:  Are your products suitable for diabetics?
A: 

All easyliving products have a nutrition label, and Nutritional Panels are available on the website for all Lenard’s products. Diabetics would need to read the nutrition and ingredient labels and assess if the product is suitable for their specific dietary needs.
   
Q:  Why are your Sausages so salty?
A: 

On average our sausages have a sodium content of 688mg/100g uncooked. 

Chicken is a milder flavoured meat than beef and pork so some individuals may taste salt where they otherwise would not if the sausage was as another meat type with a similar salt content. Additionally, Lenard’s sausage meat does not contain fillers to extend the meat content, these ingredients may also mask the presence of salt.

By way of comparison, nutritional data held by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (ANZFA) states that an uncooked chicken sausage has 695mg/100g.
   
Q:  How much garlic butter is there in a Chicken Kiev ?
A: 

A Kiev contains approx. 10% Garlic Butter.
   
Q:  Why do Lenards products differ throughout stores?
A: 

Throughout the Lenard’s product range we have more than 150 products. Our product range varies from fresh chicken to fresh value-added chicken and also our pre-prepared easyliving meal range. 

Each week we have Featured Products and each Lenard’s store must feature these products. The remainder of the shop window may be filled with the Franchise Owner’s choice of products from our extensive range. If a customer is seeking a product that is not in our window, our Franchise Owners will be more than happy to make that product for them.
   
Q:  What products would you suggest are blander than others?  
A: 

Lenard’s has more than 150 fresh products designed to suit every palate. Your local store will be able to assist you in selecting products that suit for your taste.

   
Q:  Can I change a product in my value pack to something else?
A: 

When products are unavailable, Lenard’s Franchise Owners will be more than happy to substitute other products of similar value for the customer. Also in the case where the customer would like a different product to the promoted product, it is at the discretion of the Franchise Owner as to which product the customer may replace it with.
   
Q:  Which Lenard's products do not contain added gluten?
A: 

Please refer to the Allergen Matrix.

Please click here for this checklist on products that do not contain added gluten.
   
Q:  What does ‘sausage meat’ mean?
A: 

Sausage meat refers to minced chicken meat that has a sausage premix added for seasoning, binding and shelf life.
   
Q:  How much fat is contained in the Sausages?
A: 

Lenard’s sausages contain approx 17% fat uncooked.  By way of comparison nutritional data held by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (ANZFA) states that a typical uncooked chicken sausage has 22.6g/100g.
   
Q:  What casings do Lenard’s use for the Chicken Sausages?
A: 

All casings used by Lenard’s (sometimes referred to as skins) are natural casings derived from pork, except the Chicken Chipolata which uses natural casings derived from sheep.
   
Q:  What products contain MSG?
A: 

None of Lenard’s fresh value-added products or easyliving contain added MSG, although some ingredients used in the preparation of Lenards products do contain MSG. Commonly, products that contain ham or bacon may contain some MSG.

   
Q:  What are trans fats?
A: 

Trans fats (trans fatty acids) may be found naturally in some foods but ‘are formed when liquid vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated or hardened for use in margarine, cooking fats for deep frying and shortening for baking’. The Heart Foundation states ‘there is strong evidence that eating a diet high in trans fats is linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease’ and as such there has been a focus in recent years on the reduction and elimination of the artificial sources of trans fat from foods.
   
Q:  How do I reduce/avoid trans fats in my diet?
A: 

Limit your daily intake of fried foods and check that, where food is fried, the oils used do not contain trans fats. Where possible check the labelling of pre-packaged foods for information about trans fat levels.

The recommendation for consumption of trans fat is <1% of daily kilojoules. For more information on trans fats visit the Heart Foundation website www.heartfoundation.org.au.
   
 
Food Safety
 
Q:  How long will my product last in the fridge?
A: 

To maintain quality and food safety it is vital that chicken be stored at temperatures below 5°C. Lenard's specifies that all raw chicken has a minimum shelf life of 7 days from date of kill when stored below 5°C. It takes approx 1 day to deliver the chicken. This leaves the stores with an approximate shelf life of 6 days, 4 days in store and 2 days after sale with the customer. The customer can prolong the shelf life by freezing the chicken.

All easyliving products have a use by date on the pack.
   
Q:  Does Lenard’s chicken contain hormones or antibiotics?
A: 

No hormones have been fed or otherwise administered to poultry in Australia since the 1960s. Lenard's is only supplied by licensed Australian based companies, selling 100% Australian poultry. Like all poultry sold in Australia, the chicken sold by Lenard's does not contain any added hormones.

Antibiotics are sometimes administered to flocks to combat infections. This generally occurs only after other management strategies have been unsuccessful. Vets inspect the birds before and after antibiotic administration and they are checked before processing and withholding periods apply. Only antibiotics assessed and approved for use in the livestock industries by regulatory authorities are used.

The Commonwealth Governments National Residue Survey includes chicken and samples are tested for antibiotics and hormones.
   
Q:  Are your chickens processed in a chemical free way?
A: 

During the cleaning process, chicken carcasses are washed with water and that water generally contains small levels of chlorine. The chlorine kills bacteria in the water and regulatory authorities control chlorine levels.

To maintain food safety and quality, poultry carcasses need to be chilled quickly. There are two general methods used for chilling raw poultry; spin chilling and air chilling. The majority of Australian processors use spin chilling and treated water is used in the chilling process.  The water used for spin chilling must be chlorinated or contain an approved food grade sanitiser. 

The Australian Standard Construction of Premises and Hygienic Production of Poultry Meat for Human Consumption details how poultry should be produced in Australia. Poultry processing plants are licensed and inspected routinely by the relevant regulatory authority.
   
Q:  Why don't your staff wear gloves?
A: 

The products that Lenard's sells, with the exception of the easyliving prepared meal range, are raw and require cooking prior to consumption. Lenard's promotes the use of clean hands to handle and prepare raw chicken rather than disposable gloves. Stores are generally equipped with two designated hand washbasins; one located in the work area of the store and one at the front of the store.  All hand washbasins are equipped with a Lenard’s approved liquid soap and paper towels. Disposable gloves are widely used in the food industry but unfortunately they are also widely misused. Many food handlers put on the disposable gloves then proceed to blow their nose, scratch their ears, handle money, clean up garbage, go to the bathroom, etc. without any thought to changing their gloves or washing their hands. Given the nature of chicken meat and the use of marinades and garnishes in the Lenard's product range, hand washing between tasks is a much safer option. There is no regulatory requirement to wear disposable gloves to handle raw chicken.

Disposable gloves, blue in colour, are used to prepare the easyliving ready to eat meal range. These meals are essentially heat and eat and do not require the extensive cooking associated with raw chicken. The blue colour of the gloves assists in highlighting the difference between raw and ready to eat food handling and the blue is more easily seen if the glove becomes torn and falls into the product.

Inverted plastic bags (some stores use tongs and/or spoons) are used to handle product, particularly in the display/serving area. The use of plastic bags assists in protecting the product and keeping the hands clean hands that are also used to handle money. The use of plastic bags also eliminates the need to have tongs, spoons, etc. for dispensing product in the window display.  The cleaning and sanitising of tongs, spoons etc. between each use is a challenge and requires constant monitoring. Using bags assists in eliminating this requirement.
   
Q:  How much bacteria is in chicken?
A: 

As a raw meat, chicken contains significant levels of naturally occurring bacteria. Cooking kills bacteria and products are cooked and tested for bacteria levels before recommended cooking times and temperatures are added to the Lenard’s cooking guide. The times and temperatures recommended in the cooking guide ensure that any bacteria is killed.
   
Q:  What bacteria are in chicken?
A: 

Raw chicken contains a wide range of bacteria – some harmless, and some that can cause illness and spoilage. Maintaining chicken at temperatures below 5ºC and cooking as per the cooking guide reduces, and in the case of cooking, eliminates harmful bacteria.

Raw chicken can contain harmful bacteria such Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. Elimination of these bacteria forms part of the product cooking trials. Chilled storage below 5ºC and cooking reduces and/or eliminates harmful bacteria on chicken.
   
 
Cooking
 
Q:  Is the Chicken Cordon Bleu/Schnitzel cooked properly as it always turns out pink in colour?
A: 

The colour of the cooked product relates to the cut of chicken and the ham or bacon in the product. Chicken thigh is slightly grey when cooked and it is common that the ham actually 'colour fixes' the chicken - that sounds technical but put simply, the pink of the ham makes the chicken look slightly pink when cooked.

Poultry is cooked when liquid runs clear; pink liquid means the product is not cooked sufficiently.
   
Q:  What is the cooking time for whole birds?
A: 

30 minutes per 500g at 200OC.

HINTS:

  • Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting dish and lightly brush the whole bird with butter or cooking oil to assist browning.
  • Add a little water to the bottom of the dish to help keep the bird moist during cooking.
  • Tuck wings under body to prevent them from burning.
  • When carving, remove legs and wings by cutting through the joint and carve breast parallel to the breastbone.
   
Q:  What do you mean by fresh?
A: 

Consumers generally consider chilled poultry as fresh it has not been processed e.g. cured, canned, dehydrated, frozen. 

Chicken is delivered to Lenard’s stores as soon as practicable after killing. You could say that the vast majority of Lenard's chicken is fresh, as it has not been frozen. The exception is the frozen hen meat used for mince mixes.

Guarantee: At Lenard’s, freshness is our number one ingredient - and we guarantee it. We promise our customers that: If you are not satisfied with the freshness of any Lenard’s product we will happily replace it with another product or refund your money - no questions asked.
   
 
General
 
Q:  Are your chickens organic?
A: 

Organic chicken is not used to make Lenard's products.  Organic certification is a complex process and Lenard's is not a retailer of organic products.
   
Q:  Do you supply free-range birds?
A: 

Free-range chicken is not used to make the general range of Lenard's products. If requested by customers and where demand can be demonstrated, some stores do sell free-range chicken and this would be clearly identified by its packaging. Free-range chicken is identified with the Free Range Egg & Poultry Association logo.
   
Q:  What is the difference between free-range and regular birds?
A: 

Regular meat chickens are raised in large, temperature-regulated barns where they have easy access to food and water and are not restricted in cages.  Free-range chickens are free to roam in the external environment but are generally housed from sunset to sunrise as protection from predators. Free-range chickens may forage outdoors but are generally fed indoors to discourage predators.
   
Q:  Are minced chicken frames suitable for my puppy?
A: 

Lenard’s minced chicken frames are suitable for dogs however, it is an individual’s choice to use the product to feed puppies.
   
 
Tender Gold
 
Q:  What is tender gold?
A: 

Tender gold involves a special Lenard's process of soaking fresh premium breast fillets with our own blend of herbs and other special ingredients to ensure a juicy 'tenderness infused' product every time.
   
Q:  What makes the product gold?
A: 

Lenard's tender gold uses a hint of turmeric to naturally colour the product, giving it a gold appearance.
   
Q:  What is the flavour of tender gold?
A: 

Tender gold is naturally seasoned with our own blend of herbs and other special ingredients that give the tender gold breast its distinctive yet subtle taste.

The ingredients are used in such minute amounts that no specific one is able to be identified.

Tender gold was designed to be complementary to all chicken usages and is not just suited to one application.
   
Q:  Is tender gold spicy?
A: 

No, it is not spicy despite its appearance. In fact only a small amount of seasoning is used.
   
Q:  How can tender gold be used?
A: 

Tender gold was designed to be complementary to all flavours and usages. It is suitable for use in the following applications:

Whole - tender gold is great on the BBQ or pan fried - dry chicken breast will be a thing of the past.

Hot - Can be used in all applications where chicken breast is usually used: risotto, stir-fry, curries, cook with your favourite simmer sauces etc.

Cold - Cook and chill the product and use for salads, sandwiches, pizzas, or eat as whole fillets.