The New York Post reports that Merrill Lynch & Co. is using buckets of hot, buttery popcorn to help soothe its head office employees.

The Post says that since the World Trade Center attacks the brokerage giant has started handing out free hot beverages daily, free pastries every Monday, and tubs of popcorn. Merrill says it chose to serve up popcorn because it’s healthy, festive and cost effective, the Post says.

However, the Post says that Merrill sources also say that the popcorn is being used to mask the smell of the WTC area. A Merrill spokesman told the
Post that the primary purpose of offering popcorn was part of the overall effort on the part of the company to create a better ambiance at its headquarters. “I suppose if some people think it helps put a good smell in the air, well, popcorn does do that.”