Sweet, juicy and easy to peel, the clementines they accompany the Italian autumn and winter from October to February. Behind such a familiar fruit there is a short and documented history, which began just over a century ago in an agricultural orphanage in Algeria. In Italy the supply chain today has around 27 thousand hectares and a harvest that in 2024 was close to 670 thousand tonnes.
There Calabria produces two thirds of the national clementines, and the Gulf of Taranto in Puglia holds a second Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). In the meantime, Italian varietal research is working to extend the season: the new late selection will be in September 2026 Perrina has obtained European plant variety rights.
Italian clementines, market data
According to the Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market (ISMEA), in 2025 the surface area small citrus fruits in Italy reaches 36,100 hectares, of which 26,968 are clementines, which provide approximately 81% of the sector's harvest. Calabrian production has stabilized in the last five years at around 450 thousand tonnes (Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen, 2025). The province of Cosenza alone, with the Piana di Sibari and Corigliano-Rossano, is worth 46% of national production (FreshPlaza, 2025).
In 2024 theItaly he produced 668 thousand tons of clementines and he has them exported 78 thousand, in Germany and Poland first and foremost (FreshPlaza, 2025). Just under 12% of the harvest therefore crosses borders, the rest remains on the domestic market. In value, exports rose from 50 million euros in 2022 to 78 million in 2024 and 69 million in 2025, while imports fell from 49 to 35 million in the same period. There trade balance thus went from a draw to a surplus of around 34 million (MAECI, 2026, provisional 2025 data). Clementines are worth about a fifth of Italian citrus exports.
Mandarins and clementines enter the shopping cart 66% of Italian families, with a peak between November and January, while the organic segment does not show a growth trend (Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen, 2025). On foreign markets the Spanish competition remains dominant. In Frankfurt, in November 2025, Italian clementines completed the offer at 2-2.70 euros per kilo. THE buyer of Central-Eastern Europe, Poland in the lead, are today asking for larger calibres. Calabrian producers indicate two priorities: investing in late varieties and explaining to consumers that quality cannot be measured by the color of the skin alone (Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen, 2025).
Misserghin 1902, the origin of a young citrus fruit
The clementine (Citrus clementina hort. ex Tanaka) is among the most recent cultivated citrus fruits. It was described in 1902 by the physician and botanist Louis Trabut on Revue Horticole like a new mandarin identified in a seedbed of the agricultural orphanage of Misserghin, near Oran, Algeria (Wu et al., 2018).
In 1946 two French technicians visited the site, 21 kilometers from Oran, on the shore of the large salt lake. The orphanage, managed by the Fathers of the Holy Spirit, did not keep archives and the history of the fruit was entrusted solely to oral tradition. This he attributed to Father Clément, lived from 1839 to 1904 and buried in the cemetery next to the chapel, passionate about botany and author of pollination and sowing tests in the orchard. Trabut, writing in 1926, had been more sober: 'de ces ses est sortie la Clémentine dédiée au Frère Clément' (Berchon & Comelli, 1946).
Trabut believed that clementine was a cross between mandarin and 'Granito', a bitter willow-leaf orange, from which it took the intense color of the peel and the musky scent (Berchon & Comelli, 1946). The bitter orange hypothesis still circulates in many descriptive sheets. Genome analysis has surpassed it: clementine is the direct daughter of Mediterranean mandarin willow leaf (Willowleaf) And of thesweet orange, which provided the pollen (Wu et al., 2018). The same study notes that clementine is monoembryonic: each seed arises from fertilization and gives a true hybrid, not a clone of the mother (Wu et al., 2018). For this reason, clementine is used as a mother plant in crosses, such as those with orange Tarocco from which they were born Tacle and Mandared (Monks & Sanderson, 2020a, 2020b).
From Monreal to Perrina, a century to extend the season
The calendar problem is as old as the fruit. In Algeria in 1946, clementines arrived on the market around October 15th and were shipped to France until mid-December, then they became too ripe for the journey. A farmer from Perrégaux, Montreal, had selected an earlier line, ripe from 1 October, and a second seedless line, which he was authorized to sell as 'clementine Monréal' (Berchon & Comelli, 1946).
That name still survives in customs statistics. The foreign trade item detected by the National Institute of Statistics (Istat) is called 'Clementines, fresh or dried, including those of the Monreal type' (MAECI, 2026). In Calabria the clementine spread between the 1930s and 1950s (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-b). In the Gulf of Taranto it became a specialized crop after the Second World War, when the land reform made irrigation water available (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-a).
Today the Clementine Common it covers over 70% of the approximately 30 thousand national hectares, according to the agronomist Francesco Perri, but its commercial window shortens with the warmer climate (Gigli, 2026). It ripens between mid-November and early December and maintains its quality on the plant for a short time, due to the senescence of the peel (Mennone, s.d.).
Varieties of clementines, from early to late
The experimentation of the Lucanian Agency for Development and Innovation in Agriculture (ALSIA) in Metaponto, in Basilicata, on a collection of 40 varieties, documents how the different selections cover the calendar from October to February (Menno, s.d.). Many are spontaneous mutations of the Municipality. In the Taranto area, two of them took the name of the places where they were identified, 'Grosso Puglia' and 'Precoce di Massafra' (Puglia Region, n.d.).
| Variety or selection | Placement in the calendar | Characteristics |
| Caffin | Very early, first and second ten days of October in the early areas | Fruit weighing approximately 85 g, slightly wrinkled skin, low productivity |
| Oronules | About two weeks before the Municipality | Intense orange color, easy to peel |
| Spinoso (Early Massafra) | Mid October | Most flattened fruit in the municipality, 80-90 g, admitted in both PGIs |
| SRA 89 | Late October-early November | Clone very similar to the Municipality, it soon goes into production |
| Municipality, SRA 63, ISA | Mid November-early December | Reference for taste; ISA matures shortly after SRA 63 |
| Nules (Clemenules) | Contemporary to the Municipality | Good caliber; excluded from the Calabrian regulations in 2024 |
| Ruby | End of December-January | Smaller size, 60-70 g |
| Hernandina | January-mid February | Uneven coloration, some seeds, alternating production |
| Perrina (Sanzo) | Second half of December-January, according to the breeder | Mutation by the Municipality, community privatization 2026 |
Orientation framework, variable with area and rootstock. Sources: Mennone (s.d.); Caruso, Perri & Russo (2016); Lilies (2026); C/2024/6999.
Perrina, the new Italian late clementine
Perrina was obtained by clonal selection from a spontaneous bud mutation of the Common Clementine (Gigli, 2026). The selection was described already in 2016, under the name of Sanzo, by Francesco Perri and two researchers from the Council for Agricultural Research and the Analysis of Agricultural Economics (CREATE) Of Acireale (Catania, Sicily). The origin is a branch with fruits still green when harvested, noticed in the winter of 1994 on a plant in the Municipality of Corigliano Calabro. Compared to the late Hernandina it did not show alternation of production, with 80-100 kilos per adult plant (Caruso, Perri & Russo, 2016).
The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO, Community Plant Variety Office) granted the plant right with decision no. EU 73317 of 7 September 2026, in favor of Francesco Perri, with expiry no later than 31 December 2056 (CPVO, 2026). CREA of Acireale oversaw the restoration of the plant material. Commercial diffusion is entrusted exclusively to a producer organization from Battipaglia (Salerno, Campania) and multiplication to a nursery from Lamezia Terme (Catanzaro, Calabria). In the Sele Plain (Salerno) around 10 thousand plants in the fifth year will make 500 tons available already in this campaign (Gigli, 2026).
Clementine, mother of new hybrids
The monoembryony of clementine has made it a sought-after parent for breeding programs (Wu et al., 2018). In Italy, crosses with the Tarocco blood orange have given, in addition to the Tacle, the Mandared, a triploid hybrid of Nules and Tarocco with pulp that pigments red when ripe (Monks & Sanderson, 2020a).
Clementines from Calabria and the Gulf of Taranto, two PGIs
The Clementines of Calabria PGI, registered in 1997, come from 67 municipalities of the five Calabrian provinces (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-b). The specification was updated by ministerial decree in 2024 (MASAF, 2024) and the modification was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Some varieties have been released (Fedele, Tardivo, Marisol and Nules), as they are outdated and no longer present. SRA89 and ISA, two clones of the Municipality, entered. The fruit must measure between 50 and 69 millimeters, yield at least 40% juice and reach at least 10 degrees Brix. AND the post-harvest use of synthetic fungicides and ripening accelerators is prohibited. The maximum density drops from 1,200 to 1,000 plants per hectare, the marketable yield cannot exceed 35 tonnes per hectare and conservation must take place between 2 and 7 degrees (C/2024/6999).
In 2023, 10,006 tons of Clementine di Calabria PGI were certified, for a turnover of 3.5 million euros (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-b). The comparison with the approximately 450 thousand Calabrian tons indicates that the denomination covers around 2% of regional production: a still large space for valorisation.
The Clementines from the Gulf of Taranto PGI, registered in 2003, come from Palagiano, Massafra, Ginosa, Castellaneta, Palagianello, Taranto and Statte. The permitted varieties are Comune, Fedele, Precoce di Massafra or Spinoso, Grosso Puglia, ISA, SRA 63 and SRA 89. The harvest takes place by hand with scissors, the peel can have a maximum of 30% green color and the fruits with seeds are tolerated within 5% (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-a). Certified production went from 32 tons in 2021 to 944 in 2023: an extraordinary growth, in a production context that is unfortunately still marginal (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-a). Deep and well-drained soils, southern exposure and the shelter of the Murgia from cold winds characterize the area (Puglia Region, n.d.).
Color and ripeness, green is not a flaw
In citrus fruits the internal maturity is often reached before the external one, and many supply chains resort to degree, exposure to ethylene in the cell which artificially colors the fruit. A study conducted for two years on PGI orchards Clémentine de Corse, where the degree is prohibited, showed that the drop in acidity follows the same dynamic in all the plots, while the coloring occurs at different times. The meeting between the two processes defines the window useful for collection. Larger fruits at the beginning of October lose acidity earlier: the race for size can be to the detriment of internal quality (Julhia et al., 2019). The Calabrian specification follows the same logic and prohibits maturation accelerators after harvest (C/2024/6999).
The European marketing standard for citrus fruits requires any preservatives and other chemical substances used in post-harvest treatments to be indicated on the packaging. The Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed the obligation, observing that citrus fruit peel can enter food and that the residue limit of the fungicide 2-phenylphenol is 50 times higher for citrus fruits than for other fruits (Court of Justice of the European Union, 2016).
Clementines, nutritional values
The food composition tables indicated by CREA - Food and Nutrition Research Center (2019) refer to 100 grams of the edible part of fresh clementines, equal to 75% of the whole fruit, the nutritional values set out below.
| Nutritious | Per 100 g of edible portion | Per portion of 150 g |
| Energy | 165 kJ – 40 kcal | 252 kJ – 60 kcal |
| Fats | 0.1g | 0.2g |
| of which saturated fatty acids | n.d. | n.d. |
| Carbohydrates | 8.7g | 13.1g |
| of which sugars | 8.7g | 13.1g |
| Fibers | 1.2g | 1.8g |
| Proteins | 0.9g | 1.4g |
| Salt | 0.01g | 0.02g |
| Vitamin C | 54 mg (67.5% NRV) | 81 mg (101% NRV) |
Source: CREA (2019a), 'Clementines, fresh' sheet, code 008020. Salt calculated from sodium (4 mg per 100 g). n.d.: data not reported. The other micronutrients remain below 15% of the VNR.
A portion of clementines alone covers the vitamin C requirement established by the nutritional reference values set out in Annex XIII to Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. This composition undoubtedly allows the use of nutritional indications ‘high in vitamin C‘ (EC regulation 1924/2006, Annex).
Vitamin C, citrus fruits and health
Authorized health claims remind you that 'Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of immune system‘, 'contributes to protection of cells from oxidative stress‘, 'increases iron absorption' And 'contributes to reduction of tiredness and fatigue‘ (EU regulation 432/2012).
The research urges us not to transform these functions into therapeutic promises. A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled studies found that vitamin C reduced the severity of colds by 15%, but with supplements of at least one gram per day (Hemilä & Chalker, 2023). It is a dose equal to over twelve portions of clementines: attributing the fruit's ability to cure flu and colds would be inappropriate.
The stronger the bond between whole citrus fruits and cardiovascular health, even though these are observational studies not yet evaluated by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) in view of the authorization of specific health claim:
- a meta-analysis of 81 cohorts with over 4 million people associated citrus fruit consumption with a lower risk of stroke (RR 0.88; 95% confidence interval 0.82-0.94);
- for the incidence of cardiovascular diseases the benefit already stabilized around half a portion per day, around 61 grams, with a certainty of the evidence from 'very low' to 'moderate' (Zurbau et al., 2020). Sixty grams correspond to the edible part of a medium-sized Common clementine;
- another large meta-analysis had already observed inverse associations between citrus fruits, cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality (Aune et al., 2017).
Even the peel He has an interesting profile. Compared with Phlegrean mandarin and kumquat, clementine showed the highest content of carotenoids total both in the peel and in the pulp, and one antioxidant capacity of the peel higher than that of the kumquat (Costanzo et al., 2020). To use zest in cooking you must choose fruits without post-harvest treatments declared on the label.
The consumption of segments preserves the fiber of the fruit. The CREA guidelines specify that the satiating power of fruit and vegetables applies to products consumed as such and not to juices, extracts or juices, which provide less fiber and do not require chewing (CREA, 2019b).
How to choose and consume clementines
At the time of purchase, intact fruit must be chosen, without mould, lesions or large soft areas. The origin and name of the variety help link the product to the season, and some green shade on the skin does not indicate immaturity. For PGI productions you need to look for the full name and the European symbol on the packaging or on bulk sale signs.
In the refrigerator, clementines maintain their characteristics for weeks. In addition to natural consumption, they are suitable for sorbets, syrups, liqueurs and Jams, to desserts such as orange and clementine cake or clementine mousse and ricotta, and also to first courses, such as tagliolini with zuchinis and Clementine di Calabria PGI (Qualivita Foundation, s.d.-b).
Certified citrus fruits organic always guarantee the edibility of the peel – in the face of the absolute ban on chemical treatments – as well as the highest levels of protection of ecosystems and biodiversity.
For the professional buyers the varietal calendar is a planning tool. Caliber, percentage of juice, Brix degree, absence of post-harvest treatments and commercial shelf life are objective parameters, which the PGI regulations already establish. Late selections like Perrina offer an extra option to cover January with Italian products.
Dario Dongo
References
Scientific studies
Aune, D., Giovannucci, E., Boffetta, P., Fadnes, L. T., Keum, N., Norat, T., Greenwood, D. C., Riboli, E., Vatten, L. J., & Tonstad, S. (2017). Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. International Journal of Epidemiology, 46(3), 1029–1056. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw319
Costanzo, G., Iesce, M. R., Naviglio, D., Ciaravolo, M., Vitale, E., & Arena, C. (2020). Comparative studies on different Citrus cultivars: A revaluation of waste mandarin components. Antioxidants, 9(6), 517. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9060517
Hemilä, H., & Chalker, E. (2023). Vitamin C reduces the severity of common colds: A meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 2468. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17229-8
Julhia, L., Belmin, R., Meynard, J.-M., Pailly, O., & Casabianca, F. (2019). Acidity drop and coloration in clementines: Implications for fruit quality and harvesting practices. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10, 754. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00754
Wu, G. A., Terol, J., Ibanez, V., López-García, A., Pérez-Román, E., Borredá, C., Domingo, C., Tadeo, F. R., Carbonell-Caballero, J., Alonso, R., Curk, F., Du, D., Ollitrault, P., Roose, M. L., Dopazo, J., Gmitter, F. G., Jr., Rokhsar, D. S., & Talon, M. (2018). Genomics of the origin and evolution of Citrus. Nature, 554(7692), 311–316. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25447
Zurbau, A., Au-Yeung, F., Blanco Mejia, S., Khan, T. A., Vuksan, V., Jovanovski, E., Leiter, L. A., Kendall, C. W. C., Jenkins, D. J. A., & Sievenpiper, J. L. (2020). Relation of different fruit and vegetable sources with incident cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(19), e017728. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.120.017728
Historical and technical sources
Berchon, P., & Comelli, A. (1946). A visit to Misserghin, berceau de la Clémentine. Fruits d'Outre-Mer, 1(12), 371–372. https://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/fruits/article/download/32267/31800/35065
Caruso, M., Perri, F., & Russo, G. (2016). Sanzo, new selection of late ripening clementines. Fruit growing, (9), 42–44. https://myfruit.it/storage/app/media/uploads/2016/10/ClementineSanzo.pdf
Mennone, C. (s.d.). Clementines, experiments in the Metaponto area to expand the marketing calendar. Holly, 22–23. Lucanian Agency for Development and Innovation in Agriculture. https://www.alsia.it/BookReader/DocumentServlet?id=74
Monks, D., & Sanderson, G. (2020a). Mandared mandarin (Primefact 1761). NSW Department of Primary Industries. https://dpird-web.matrix.squiz.cloud/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/1206160/Mandared-mandarin.pdf
Monks, D., & Sanderson, G. (2020b). Tacle mandarin (Primefact 1750). NSW Department of Primary Industries. https://dpird-web.matrix.squiz.cloud/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1206176/Tacle-mandarin.pdf
Institutional and statistical sources
Community Plant Variety Office [CPVO]. (2026, September 7). Certificate of granting of community plant variety rights: Perrina. Decision no. EU 73317. https://agfstorage.blob.core.windows.net/misc/FP_it/2026/09/25/Certificate_73317.pdf
CREA, Food and Nutrition Research Center. (2019a). Clementines, fresh: food code 008020. Food composition tables. https://www.alimentinutrizione.it/tabelle-nutrizionali/008020
CREA, Food and Nutrition Research Center. (2019b). Guidelines for healthy eating. 2018 revision. https://www.crea.gov.it/web/alimenti-e-nutrizione/-/linee-guida-per-una-sana-alimentazione-2018
Qualivita Foundation. (s.d.-a). Clementines from the Gulf of Taranto PGI. Qualigeo. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.qualigeo.eu/prodotti-qualigeo/clementine-del-golfo-di-taranto-igp/
Qualivita Foundation. (s.d.-b). Clementines of Calabria PGI. Qualigeo. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.qualigeo.eu/prodotti-qualigeo/clementine-di-calabria-igp/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation [MAECI], Economic Observatory. (2026, April). Italian trade exchange in the citrus sector (based on Istat data; provisional 2025 data). https://www.infomercatiesteri.it/public/observatory/interscambio-commerciale-settoriale/Interscambio_Agrumicolo_%2010_04_2026_1775820144.pdf
Puglia region. (s.d.). Clementines from the Gulf of Taranto PGI. Quality productions. https://feamp.regione.puglia.it/web/produzioni-di-qualita/-/cipolla-bianca-di-margherita-igp-duplica-1
Regulatory sources and jurisprudence of the European Union
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children's development and health. Consolidated text: 08/20/2025. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/432/2025-08-20
Court of Justice of the European Union. (2016, March 3). Judgment in Case C-26/15 P, Spain v Commission (Press release no. 24/16). https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/P_190975/ro
Publication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication in the agricultural and food sector, as referred to in Article 6b(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014, 'Clementine di Calabria' (C/2024/6999). Official Journal of the European Union, C series, 22.11.2024. http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6999/oj
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. Consolidated text: 12/13/2014. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1924/2014-12-13
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. Consolidated text: 04/01/2025. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/2025-04-01
Italian regulatory sources
Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry [MASAF]. (2024). Decree of 12 July 2024. Ordinary amendment to the production specification of the protected geographical indication «Clementine di Calabria». Official Journal of the Italian Republic, General series n. 172 of 24 July 2024. https://www.gazzetta ufficio.it/eli/id/2024/07/24/24A03767/SG
Sector press
FreshPlaza. (2025, October 23). Calabria hosts national forum on clementine production. https://www.freshplaza.com/europe/article/9777920/calabria-hosts-national-forum-on-clementine-production/
Gigli, R. (2026, September 28). Community patent granted for the first late clementine from Italian private research. FreshPlaza. https://www.freshplaza.it/article/9876830/concessa-la-privativa-comunitaria-per-la-prima-clementine-tardiva-da-ricerca-privata-italiana/
Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen, S. (2025, November 21). Global market overview mandarins. FreshPlaza. https://www.freshplaza.com/europe/article/9786837/global-market-overview-mandarins/
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT – Food Times) and Égalité.
