CHENNAI, India (RNS) A new soft drink made from cow urine — considered sacred by many Hindus — is now undergoing laboratory tests in India and may hit store shelves soon.

The beverage is in the final stages of development by the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a large Hindu nationalist group with dedicated cadres of volunteers around the country.

The head of the department, Om Prakash, told reporters that the drink would be launched in the market “very soon, maybe by the end of this year.” He said officials had not decided on a name or a price for the beverage, which would be sold nationwide.

Prakash told The Times of London that the drink “won’t smell like urine and will be tasty too. It’s … going to be very healthy. It won’t be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins.”

Hindus revere cows, and slaughtering them is illegal in most parts of India. Cow dung is traditionally used as a fuel and disinfectant in villages, while cow urine is used in purification rituals, especially among lower rungs of the Hindu caste system.

Carbonated drinks like Pepsi and Coca-Cola are very popular in India, but they have struggled in recent years to shake off allegations that the drinks contain unacceptable levels of pesticide.

Prakash said his drink, by contrast, was made mainly of cow urine, mixed with a few medicinal herbs. He insisted that it would be able to compete with the American cola brands. “We’re going to give them good competition as our drink is good for mankind,” he said. “We may also think of exporting it.”

Prakash claimed that “the acceptance of cow urine as a potent medicine is increasing day by day, and once it comes as a cold drink its demand will definitely increase.”

Some Hindus believe cow urine has medicinal properties. Prakash said products ranging from toothpaste to shampoo to mosquito can be made from cow urine and cow dung.