(HealthDay News) -- Your food thermometer is an important tool for making sure your food is safe, but there are no guarantees that it's working properly.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers this advice for how to test the accuracy of your food thermometer:

• Fill a glass with crushed ice and cold tap water, stir, and place the thermometer stem 2 inches into the water without touching the glass. After 30 seconds or so, the thermometer should read 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Boil water in a saucepan, and without touching the bottom, insert the stem of the thermometer 2 inches into the water. After about 30 seconds, the thermometer should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If your readings are not what they should be, many thermometers have calibration hardware. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Typically, using the nut beneath the head of the thermometer, turn it until it reads the appropriate temperature.