Projective mapping and ultra-flash profiling were used to assess the sensory profiles of prebiotic and low-fat mortadellas. Both methodologies were able to generate a preliminary vocabulary for describing the products and consumers were able to differentiate and characterize the samples. The ultra-flash profile technique seems to provide a better description of mortadellas in terms of the sensory descriptors, that is, a total of 16 attributes were generated in opposition to the projective mapping method that generated just 13 attributes. Red color, mortadella aroma, salty taste and mortadella taste presented the most cited terms using the ultra-flash profile, while the most cited attributes using the projective mapping were red color, hardness, and spicy taste. However, the description of some attributes is still limited, so it is important to perform further studies with a trained panel. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.54217051711