Enzyme-assisted soluble coffee production

The invention relates to a coffee beverage composition being devoid of significant contents of oil and insoluble particulates, comprising (a) at least 15% based on the total weight of coffee solids of total mannose, wherein the free mannose content is less than 50% by weight of the total mannose content, and (b) less than 1,000 ppm on a total coffee solids basis of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, and to a process for producing a soluble coffee extract, comprising the steps: (i) combining roast and ground coffee with water, (ii) adding hydrolase enzymes, (iii) wet-milling to a mean particle size of about 10 to about 250 µm, (iv) treating the reaction mixture by exposing it to a temperature in the range of about 20°C to about 90°C, preferably about 50°C to about 60°C, and (v) circulating the reaction mixture through a cross-flow semi-permeable membrane separation device where the soluble coffee extract is obtained as permeate.