Bread makers can legally label any loaf as sourdough by adding vinegar or citric acid, even though true sourdough requires fermentation. No government regulates the term, so premium-priced "sourdough" often contains added acids instead of real fermentation. Check the ingredient list: if you see acetic, lactic, or citric acid, it's not authentic.
You need to understand this. There is no FDA regulation anywhere in this country. And in fact, in most countries, there are no governmental regulations, things you have to meet, requirements to call something sourdough. You can call anything sourdough. They understand that the customer expectation of sourdough is that it's going to taste sour. So they make a regular yeasted bread with none of the health benefits I just talked about and put in something that's sour— acetic acid, lactic acid, or citric acid— and it tastes sour. They slap a label on it that says sourdough bread because they're allowed to do that. All of a sudden, somebody watching something on TikTok or hearing that maybe sourdough bread is better, they go in the regular grocery store, buy a loaf of sourdough bread— hell, it can even be over by the deli area in a brown package and away from the other bread— and it can cost more. And they bring it home and they see no differences with it, and that's because it isn't any different. It's the same exact thing with some acid put into it. The key is turn over the package of sourdough bread, and if it says anything acidic— lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, which is also vinegar, sometimes it's vinegar— if you still want it, get it, but it's not sourdough bread.
