Effect of high-temperature-conditioning treatments on quality, flavonoid composition and vitamin C of cold stored 'Fortune' mandarins

► Heat conditioning (37 °C, 1 day) enables cold quarantine treatments in citrus fruits. ► Cold quarantine treatments increase didymin, narirutin and eriocitrin in citrus fruit. ► Heat conditioning has no deleterious effects on relevant flavonoids or vitamin C. ► Carpellary membranes contain high flavonoids levels that may be lost in citrus juices.