Compare the same edible weight
In USDA SR Legacy 2018, raw tangerines contain 26.7 mg vitamin C per 100 g, compared with 53.2 mg for raw oranges, all commercial varieties. On this equal-weight basis the orange value is about twice the tangerine value. That comparison applies to these records, not every cultivar or stored fruit. [1]
A medium fruit is not a standardized mass
The reference medium tangerine is 88 g, providing about 23.5 mg. The orange entry’s 131 g fruit provides about 69.7 mg. Comparing those pieces combines a difference in nutrient concentration with a difference in size. The figures concern the edible raw fruit, not peel or a glass of juice. [1]
A hypothetical equal-weight swap
If a snack contains 150 g of edible fruit, the estimates are 40.0 mg for tangerine and 79.8 mg for orange. This is a composition comparison, not a finding that one fruit is better for every dietary purpose. Keep the food description and portion together in your record. [1]
| Fruit | Estimated vitamin C |
|---|---|
| Raw tangerine | 40.0 mg |
| Raw orange | 79.8 mg |
Sources for this article
- USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy April 2018 food composition dataset
Source consulted: 2026-09-20. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.