Scientists have revealed the perfect formula for dunking biscuits, discovering Rich Tea, Hobnobs, and Digestives should be submerged – for less than ONE second. <br /><br />Dr Helen Pilcher, who has a PhD in stem cell biology, conducted an experiment to discover the optimal time to submerge biscuits in hot drinks – and at what point they reach the ‘dunking danger zone’. <br /><br />She found the average biscuit should absorb 20 per cent of its original weight in liquid for the optimal dunk experience. <br /><br />Milk Chocolate Digestives and Hobnobs can be dunked for just over three seconds to reach this point, while Penguin bars should remain in the hot drink for a whopping six and a half seconds. <br /><br />However, it takes a mere five and seven seconds, respectively, for Fruit Shortcakes and Ginger Nuts to reach the danger zone – which is when they are at risk of breaking. <br /><br />But Dr Pilcher, who has been appointed by McVitie’s as their ‘chief dunking officer’ (CDO) to carry out the study, found a Chocolate Caramel Digestive can withstand an astonishing 40 seconds of plunging time before being in trouble of being lost to the depths of a cuppa. <br /><br />Each of the biscuits involved in the study were dunked vertically, to its mid-point, in a mug of freshly prepared tea – with milk, no sugar – and maintained at a temperature of 60 to 65°C. <br /><br />Taking on the role of CDO, Dr Pilcher is aiming to make biscuit and beverage related woes a thing of the past by taking the guesswork out of the dunk. <br /><br />The appointment of the new role comes after a poll commissioned by the biscuit maker revealed 83 snacks per dunker are lost on average every year to depths of a mug due to poor dunking techniques. <br /><br />As a result, 43 per cent have even become anxious about losing their sweet treats when dipping – with 29 per cent confessing they need to perfect their dunking technique. <br /><br />It also emerged from the poll, of 2,000 biscuit dunkers, that Digestives are the favourite treat to submerge, closely followed by the Chocolate Digestive and Rich Tea. <br /><br />Tea, coffee, and hot chocolate are the most popular beverages to dunk in – though some also dunk in cold or warm milk, milkshakes and even orange juice. <br /><br />Over half (53 per cent) of those polled, via OnePoll, say they dunk their biscuits because they like the flavour, and 50 per cent like the change in texture. <br /><br />Generation X dunk the most biscuits, with one third saying they dunk ‘often’, closely followed by Millennials (29 per cent) and Baby Boomers (29 per cent). <br /><br />James King, from McVitie’s UK & Ireland, said: “We were shocked following the results of our survey to discover just how many biscuits are being lost to dodgy dunking each week.
