Sourdough resists spoilage?

[racer x]

I bought some Pepperidge Farm sourdough bread on a whim about 6 weeks ago. (I happen to like sourdough, but I eat very little bread and before now never bought any sourdough for home.)

The sell-by date was a month ago. There are a few slices left; the bread still isn't even slightly moldy. A non-sourdough loaf would have turned weeks ago.

Is resistance to spoilage a well-known characteristic of sourdough bread?

(Or is there something about this particular brand? Or is this just a fluke of this particular loaf?)

[Bada Bing]

In this case, I'm confident that there are additives in the bread that inhibit mold, etc. I've seen hot dog buns sit in a cupboard for many weeks with little apparent change.

But I have noticed that when I make artisan sourdough loaves from scratch (just starter, flour, salt and water), the loaves do not stale as quickly as an equivalent artisan bread made with commercial yeast.

[acgold7]

The higher acid content of sourdough does tend to inhibit spoilage and molding. Doesn't prevent it but slows it down somewhat.