the answer is D. after "items," you want to insert a colon, then go on to list your items. colons set off a list. semicolons, as in choice A, are used to connect two independent clauses--that is, two complete thoughts--and join them into a single sentence if their subject matter is related. semicolons aren't used to set off a list in this way because "milk, bread, and eggs" is not a complete thought. choice B is incorrect because list items do not need to be contained in parentheses. choice C is incorrect because it's unclear; "items" is followed by a comma, but you need to use commas for your list items as well. a reader could mistake "items" as a part of the list, when the list only consists of foods.