PORTLAND – Consumer demand in Maine is growing for eggs that are part of a first-in-the-nation program that uses laser technology to etch freshness and identification codes on the surface of individual eggs.

Maine eggs are included in a pilot program that is part of an effort to minimize food-borne illnesses and make eggs a less-inviting target for bioterrorism. Besides giving consumers additional choices, the eggs could provide a new business opportunity for Maine egg farms.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for the Maine egg industry and for retailers in Maine,” said David Radlo, chief executive officer of Radlo Foods LLC of Watertown, Mass.

Radlo Foods is launching the program under the Born Free Eggs brand, which is available in 1,000 retail locations in nine northeastern states. National distribution is planned.

Radlo, which has farms in Leeds and Turner, is one of three major egg companies in Maine. The others are Dorothy Egg Farms, based in Winthrop, and Quality Egg of New England LLC, located at former A.J. DeCoster Egg Farms facilities in Turner.

In Maine, the eggs have been available in the Nature’s Place section of Hannaford supermarkets and recently expanded to the main dairy cooler. The eggs are expected to show up soon at Shaw’s Supermarkets, Radlo said.

The eggs may capitalize on growing consumer demand for organic and “designer” eggs, which have added nutrients. A study last year by the Strategic Marketing Institute found that overall egg consumption was growing in America and that designer eggs, which sell for a premium, now account for 5 percent of the market.

Radlo is working on a joint venture with Dorothy Egg Farms to build two henhouses in Winthrop that will raise chickens using free-roam guidelines. The eggs will be sold under Born Free’s “Cage Free” brand. Some consumers consider these eggs better tasting and more nutritious and the birds’ living conditions to be more humane.

The Maine eggs being used in the pilot program are sold under the “Vegetarian Fed” label, in which chickens eat grain with whole grain soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to help protect against heart disease.

Consumer demand has been positive so far, and Hannaford is expanding the Born Free line based on shopper requests.

“You pay a premium for these eggs, but customer demand is certainly up,” said Caren Epstein, a Hannaford spokeswoman.

A dozen large brown eggs were selling at Hannaford last week for $1.39. By comparison, a container of “Vegetarian Fed” was $2.65 and “Cage Free” was $2.99.

Radlo’s laser-etching initiative reflects a federal goal of reducing egg-borne illnesses by 50 percent this year and eliminating them by 2010. According to the Centers for Disease Control, egg-associated salmonella remains a public health issue in the United States, although a healthy person’s risk for infection is low if eggs are properly cooked.

Born Free Eggs are laser-etched with freshness and “traceability” codes. The etching is done with a proprietary process developed in partnership with EggFusion Inc. in Boulder, Colo.

A high-energy light beam etches codes onto the shell of each egg during packing. The etching removes a fine layer of the eggshell where the mark appears, but the contents of the egg and strength of the shell aren’t affected.

The etching machine used for the pilot program is located in Pennsylvania. Radlo said he hopes a second machine can be set up in Maine as production expands.