McDonald’s faces accusations of “farm washing” as the world’s largest restaurant chain by revenues seeks to harness the growing local food movement and stem criticism about its food quality with a US advertising blitz featuring pastoral farmyard settings.

The company has faced withering criticism in recent years over the beef content in its burgers, the fat in its fries, its marketing to children and the way its suppliers treat their animals. In three ads launched this week, McDonald’s is showcasing a lettuce farmer, a potato farmer and a cattle rancher as part of an effort to change misconceptions about its food.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” said Danya Proud, a McDonald’s spokeswoman. “We’ve struggled for several years with the perception of our food. People don’t think we use real ingredients.”