A two-dimensional axisymmetric transient heat conduction model was developed to simulate air chilling of largeready-to-eat meat products of ellipsoidal shape. A finite element scheme, using 1,600 linear triangular elements with861 nodes, was implemented in Matlab 6.5 to solve the model. The model considered a variable initial temperature distributionand combined convective, radiative, and evaporative boundary conditions. Predicted values agreed well with experimentaldata collected in actual processing conditions. Validation of model performance resulted in maximum deviations of 2.54Cand 0.29% for temperature and weight loss histories, respectively. The maximum temperature deviation (2.54C) occurredat the surface; however, for center temperature, the maximum deviation was lower (1.59C). The validated model was usedto assess the extent of deviations from stabilization performance standards established by the Food Safety and InspectionService (FSIS) caused by unexpected equipment failure or electrical power outage. A total of 48 simulations were also carriedout to establish critical product sizes and operating conditions for compliance with FSIS performance standards. It wasconcluded that, for cured meat products, small processors should be able to meet the stabilization requirements for any typicalcommercially available product size, under all simulated chilling conditions. Conversely, for non-cured meats, productsshould have a maximum weight of 2.25 kg (with typical dimensions of: major axis = 21.2 cm, minor axis = 13.9 cm) in orderto comply with FSIS standards, particularly to meet the criteria of cooling between 54.4C to 26.6C. The validated modelprovides a useful quantitative tool for various food safety applications.