You might be aware that the patent system is subject to abuse,
and that people are filing bogus and ridiculous patent applications.

The link below is to a patent application in Australia that is
trying to patent: dehydrating, sprouting, blending of
raw foods. Let's hope the Australian patent office rejects
the application...

http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/aub/pdf/nps/2004/0902/2004100620A4/2004100620.pdf

Tom Billings