SeaPea-A

Eventually, once technology progresses to where any meat and any cut can be made, could custom not-in-nature meats be invented?

For example, we do it with flavor: There's nothing in nature (as far as I know) that really resembles Pepsi. So, if we really wanted to invent something grown to look like a steak, has the texture of scallops, and has some of the gamey flavor found in duck... could we conceivably make it in the far future?

I'm not a scientist, so I'm not really familiar with how certain diseases are transmitted, but are there concerns about safety regarding the protein itself?

For example, it's possible to get vCJD by eating prions, which persist despite cooking. Is it possible for there to be a "cultured meat Mad Cow" outbreak if something goes wrong in development or manufacturing?

Also, could prion-contaminated meat be intentionally produced someday? There is a precedent for terrorists targeting the food supply, and an AQ group had contemplated poisoning food before deciding to blow up planes. Given the deadliness and lack of treatment options for prion diseases (and the extreme difficulty of detecting contaminated meat), is it a concern that cultured meat technology could someday be used in terrorist plots?