Provided herein is a method of reducing the off-taste of a food or beverage wherein the off-taste is selected from the group consisting of licorice, astringency, bitterness and sweet lingering comprising adding about 10 to about 40 ppm, phloretin to the food or beverage wherein the phloretin is provided in the substantial absence of a bitterness-masking aroma substance selected from the groups consisting of homoeriodictylol, homoeriodictyol sodium salt, homoeriodictylol potassium salt or mixtures thereof and wherein the phloretin does not significantly enhance the sweetness of the article or composition.