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Increased shelf life is important for increasing the marketing of mandarin fruits (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and thus raise more distant markets. In this line, the present study was to evaluate the best time of exposure to UV-C radiation in postharvest longevity of fruit. We evaluated the exposure times for 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes, while fruits that were not exposed configuring the control. The fruits were stored under refrigeration at a temperature of 15 ºC and evaluated for 25 days. Every five days were evaluated the fresh weight loss, firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, maturation rate and respiratory rate. With the exception of pH, other results showed statistical variation in all traits. Exposure times for 15 and 20 minutes showed similar results in all storage times and showed the best average on the post-harvest fruit quality. The UV-C radiation has proved to be a promising technical tool for increasing the life of tangerines, combined with cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]