When the meat is processed into ground turkey, bacteria is introduced into the meat mixture. 74c is the temperature at which the bacteria will die and no longer be harmful.
The reason why ground turkey must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) is because germs will survive at lower temperatures.
This temperature kills germs that may be in the meat.
The top five germs that cause illnesses from food eaten in the United States are: Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus aureus (Staph).
