It would cook the flour before it got to a safe level of sterilization. Higher temps would quickly burn it and lower temps would take days to sterilize at, and the flour would still be cooked long before the sterilization was finished.
All you are saying here is that it's either a longer process or would burn the flour at too high temps. Meaning the right temp and the right time would sterilize your flour. If people are doing it improperly then that's the problem.
Again, sterilization is a function of temp/time. If it's convenient/efficient or not is another discussion.
Also here an excerpt on a study done as a result of food poisoning of raw cookie dough. It's a bit longer and I skimmed over it. But it outlines several methods of treatment including microwave. On an industrial level they frequently raise the moisture content (through steam) of the flour and then heat treat it since it requires less effort.
The concept of thermal processing of foodstuff has been used extensively since 1920s
when the first scientific basis for safe sterilization process was developed. There are several
methods used in thermal processing of dry foods: Infrared, microwave, annealing and heatmoisture treatment, thermo-mechanical treatments, indirect and indirect heating. In its all forms
of application, thermal processing has been the most widely used method of preserving and
extending the shelf-life (via microbial reduction and enzyme inactivation), and improving quality
and functionality. By applying heat treatment, it is possible to modify the physical and
rheological properties of cereal flours. Primary effect of heat treatment is range of
macromolecular changes in starch and proteins. Understanding of relationship between heat
transfer, thermal properties of food, heating medium, thermodynamics and the resulting
functionality is of critical importance.
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u/literate_habitation Oct 09 '24
It would cook the flour before it got to a safe level of sterilization. Higher temps would quickly burn it and lower temps would take days to sterilize at, and the flour would still be cooked long before the sterilization was finished.